PETALING JAYA: A three-week training stint in Thailand has whetted Mohd Abdul Qaiyum Ariffin appetite to punch his way for glory in his first Commonwealth Games.
The 21-year-old Qaiyum will take part in the men’s flyweight 51kg category in the Games starting on July 28 in Birmingham.
Together with teammate Sheikh Rahmatullah Ibrahim (men’s bantamweight 54kg), they have been training at the Muaklek Boxing Academy in Saraburi for the last three weeks under the watchful eyes of their coach Azmi Mohd Yunus.
Qaiyum, who took up boxing at the age of 13, said he had enjoyed quality time during training as he had sparred with boxers from Bhutan, Thailand, Mauritius and Cambodia at the academy.
“The training in Thailand has really helped us, and I can’t wait to get started in Birmingham. I may be inexperienced compared to the other boxers, but that’s not a problem,” said Qaiyum.
“We are adaptable and can pick up moves immediately in the boxing arena. Tactically, we have been taught to be really fluid.
“My goal is to get the gold and to achieve it, I’ve to push myself physically and mentally.”
When asked to describe his boxing style, Qaiyum said he would change it based on his opponent.
“I have different ways to counter depending whether my opponent is an aggressive or defensive person,” he said, adding that he idolised professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr and amateur boxers from Cuba.
He will be flying to Birmingham today with the boxing team from Thailand.
The last time Malaysia won a medal in the Commonwealth Games was in 2002 Manchester when Zamzai Azizi took the bronze medal in the men’s lightweight 48kg.
Sapok Biki is the only Malaysian to have won a gold when he did it at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games in the lightweight 48kg.
BOXING
Date: July 29-Aug 7
Venue: National Exhibition Centre, Solihull
Medals at stake: 16-16-16
Team
Men: Mohd Abdul Qaiyum Ariffin (men’s flyweight 51kg) and Sheikh Rahmatullah Ibrahim (men’s bantamweight 54kg).
Performance in previous outings
1994 British Columbia: No medal.
1998 Kuala Lumpur: One gold (Sapok Biki, men’s light flyweight 48kg) and one bronze (Adnan Yusoh, men’s bantamweight 54kg).
2002 Manchester: One bronze (Zamzai Azizi, men’s light flyweight 48kg).
2006 Melbourne: No medal.
2010 New Delhi: No medal.
2014 Glasgow: No medal.
2018 Gold Coast: Did not contest.
