Knowing Japanese helps Amir to kick it up a notch in judo

PETALING JAYA: Thailand SEA Games champion Amir Daniel Abdul Majeed (pic) has an advantage over many when it comes to refining his judo techniques.

Amir is fluent in Japanese and his ability to communicate at ease with the training instructors has helped shape what he is today.

The 21-year-old from Penang said he learnt to speak the language as a teenager.

“I learnt it when I was 15 because after spending a few months training in Japan. It has helped a lot as you have to communicate with the coaches.

“As you know, judo originated from Japan and they also produced the best coaches,” said Amir, who made history at the Thailand SEA Games in December when he ended a 44-year gold drought for Malaysia in the sport.

Amir downed John Viron Ferrer of the Philippines in the final of the men’s below 81kg category at the SEA Games after winning back-to-back bronze medals in the below 73kg class at the 2021 Hanoi and 2023 Phnom Penh editions.

Amir underlined his potential when he won bronze at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, becoming Malaysia’s first-ever judo medallist.

Amir attributed the win to an almost month-long training stint in Mongolia and is hopeful of getting to go for similar stints in the run-up to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya later this year.

“The camps in Mongolia are very focused on the physical aspect with a lot of gym work. For technical matters, I refer to my coach. In this sport, you have to be quite independent during training camps and being able to converse in Japanese helps.

“Hopefully, I will be able to get on the Commonwealth Games podium again and see how far I can go in the high-level Asiad and gain experience.”

It will be a subdued Hari Raya this year as Amir is still feeling the loss of his father Abdul Majeed Mohd Hussain, who passed away while the former was in training camp two weeks before the SEA Games competition last year.

“When my mum broke the news, I was shocked. I cried and I was shaking. I flew back the next day from Mongolia and managed to see his body before he was buried after prayers.

“He was a big support in my life and we are learning to cope with things without him.

“He would have been proud to see what I have achieved,” added the Universiti Sains Malaysia student.