Just a win away: Mhd Amin Burhanuddin is on track for a gold medal after reaching the final of the SL4 singles final at the Asean Para Games.— Bernama
PHNOM PENH: Although he was born with a deformity in his right leg, it did not discourage Mhd Amin Burhanuddin from being involved in badminton since the age of 10.
The 31-year-old athlete has a right leg defect called ‘right ciev with surgical intervention, SL4’ and had to undergo surgery at birth which caused him to use crutches until he was seven.
Two years later after the cast in Amin’s right leg was opened, he was able to balance his body without the aid of tools to move freely in his residential area in Labuan.
“I was born with a deformity in my right leg so I had to undergo foot surgery. My leg had to be in a cast until the age of seven,” said the fourth of six siblings who began playing badminton at 10.
Amin, however, said that a lack of knowledge in becoming a para athlete saw him breaking into the international stage only when he was 14.
Refusing to look back, he continued to move forward with the support of his family, especially his second eldest brother, Sahbudin Burhanuddin, 40, who always told him to be actively involved in the sport when he was first selected in the national programme last year.
“At first I only trained with my family, especially my second eldest brother. If I’m lazy to go down (to he court), he will insist that I go.”
The Sabah-born para shuttler who only won a bronze medal in the last edition in Solo, Indonesia is now just one step away from taking revenge to win the gold medal in the men’s SL4-(physical disability) individual final at the Asean Para Games today.
Ranked 20th in the world, he defeated Freddy Setiawan from Indonesia 21-12 and 21-14 in the semi-finals to set up meeting against Indonesia’s Hikmat Ramdani in the title match.
“On paper, I am far behind (Hikmat) but I will still try my best,” he said. — Bernama
