Safwan Turns Hobby Into Winning Four Para SUKMA Gold

KUCHING, Sept 26 (Bernama) — No one thought that a hobby of swimming in the Kelana Jaya pool would pave the way for Muhammad Safwan Suhaimi to represent Selangor and win four gold medals at the 2024 Malaysia Games (Para SUKMA XXI) in Sarawak.

The 19-year-old eldest of seven siblings said it never crossed his mind to become a swimmer because he was actually more synonymous with track and field events since he was nine years old.

"I always go to the swimming complex in Kelana Jaya after school hours with my friends from the age of 12. After that, a lifeguard noticed me and suggested it to the Selangor Para Swimming Association.

"At that time, the association told me that it wanted to training people like me to represent the state in Para SUKMA. So I agreed and changed to swimming at 14," he told Bernama at the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre here today.

Muhammad Safwan bagged another gold medal today through the men's 100 metres (m) freestyle S9 (physical disability) after recording 1 minute 07.10 seconds (s), to erase national swimmer Abd Halim Mohammad's Games record of 1:08.56 s in the 2018 edition.

Earlier, he won three gold medals in the men's 100m backstroke S9, men's 200m individual medley SM9/SM10 and men's 50m freestyle S9.

Muhammad Safwan, who was born without his left hand, expressed gratitude as intensive training five times a week paid off in his second appearance in the biennial games.

The second semester student of Sports Science at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Shah Alam said an injury to his right shoulder did not disrupt his concentration in the slightest to ensure that the Selangor state anthem "Duli Yang Maha Mulia" resounded four times in Bumi Kenyalang (Land of the Hornbills).

"I still remember when I was in primary school, I was teased, maybe they felt strange because of my situation as a disabled person (OKU), but thankfully in secondary school, everyone understood that not all people are normal in the world and there are some with shortcomings.

"This is the biggest Games in my life so I am really satisfied with winning four gold medals. I sacrificed a lot of playing time with my peers and shied away from the outside world to focus on training," he said.

Muhammad Safwan hopes his success will enable him to be absorbed into the national team, especially after he had previously been called twice to participate in the 'next generation' training for the national back-up squad at the Paralympic centre of excellence at Kg Pandan in Kuala Lumpur.

— BERNAMA