KLANG: For Ubaidillah Nasri Abdul Latiff, the decision to steer his sons away from his own sport was a simple one.
As a former national bodybuilder, he knew that building muscle mass would be an uphill task for boys who stand 1.86m (6'1'').
So he got two of his sons into the sport he also had a background in – muay thai – and coached them himself.
That gamble paid off in a golden double at the Malaysia Games (Sukma), with Ubaidillah's second son Arysh Shaddad winning the 64kg title in what was his final Sukma appearance, while youngest son Adhem claimed gold in the 67kg category at the KSL Esplanade Mall here yesterday.
Arysh defeated Faris Aiman Salim of Penang 17-6 to seal his title, while Adhem overcame Aiman Mohd Din of Johor 36-9 in a bout that stretched across three rounds.
"I don’t think bodybuilding is suitable for my sons because they are so tall. Building muscle mass for a guy who is six feet tall is a very tough job compared to someone shorter.
''The only thing I could teach my children was muay thai, since I have a background in it," said Ubaidullah, who trains his sons at Tekun Paragon Muaythai Camp in Selayang.
Adhem, the youngest fighter in his category at 16, admitted the tournament had pushed him to his limit.
"I was completely exhausted – my legs were swollen from the earlier rounds. But I wasn’t in that ring alone. My family, my team, and Team Selangor worked tirelessly to get me to this stage,'' he said.
"There was no way, no choice, no option – I needed that gold medal. If I didn’t win, I would have wasted over a year of preparation," he said.
He revealed his father’s guidance extended beyond technique and into faith, with prayers forming part of his pre-fight routine.
For Ubaidullah, keeping his sons’ training in the family was a deliberate choice, one shaped by his own limited means while growing up and his belief that no one could match a father’s investment in his children.
"I didn’t have much money to give them, but I had a sporting spirit. That was the only thing I could offer my children, which is why I brought them all into sports.
''I chose to train them myself because I don’t believe any coach is better than a father-coach," he said.
With Arysh’s Sukma career now complete, Ubaidullah's attention turns to eldest son A’mmarul Shafiq, 25, who fights in a Beyond Asia bout next week.
RESULTS
MEN
Below 48kg: Abdul Muaz Shamsul Badri (Nse) Bt Zufry Iskandar Zailan (FT) 39-14 (14-4, 16-6, and 9-4)
Below 51kg: Insyad Rumijam (FT) Raja Izaffudin Petra Raja Anuar (Prk) 38-14 (21-1, 8-10 and 9-3)
Below 57kg: Mohd Fadzmi Aiman Mohd Fadzli (Sel) bt Mohd Ramadhan Abd Razak (Prk) 29-15 (19-12, 10-3 and knockout)
Below 60kg: Putra Abdullah Mahmoud (Sel) Bt Mohd Hakimi Nordin (Pen) 36-19 (12-6, 14-5 and 10-8)
Below 64kg: Arysh Shaddad Ubaidullah (Sel) bt Faris Aiman Salim (Pen) 17-6 (13-3, 4-3 and 4-0)
Below 67kg: Adhem Syf Ubaidullah (Sel) bt Aiman Mohd Din (Joh) 36-9 (14-3, 16-2 and 6-5).
Below 71kg: Mohd Amirul Hakim Bin (Pen) bt Mohd Ibad Zainul Asri (Ter) 40-17 (14-5, 14-6 and 12-5)
WOMEN
Below 45kg: Emylia Lynn Ghazali Zulfikar Bt Damia Husna Azian (Joh) 34-33 (10-4, 14-8 and 10-21)
Below 48kg: Rabiatul Adawiyah Mohd Yunus (Prk) bt Eva Anatasia Warren 35-25 (12-8,13-10 and 10-7).
Below 54kg: Nur Bisyarah Altisya Mohd Zairee (Prk) bt Krystal Angel Jafili 36-19 (6-6, 15-7 and 13-5)
Below 57kg: 1. Nurhuda Fakhira Mohd Hasbul Farik (Prk) bt Nur Hani Hazirah Hamdan (FT) 34-30 (9-14, 14-10, 11-6)
