Daniel has fulfilled the long-awaited hopes of Malaysian judo fans by winning the title in the under 81 kg weight category at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, held on December 13, 2025. This was a significant achievement for a country that had not won a gold medal in judo since 1981.
The 21-year-old athlete noted that his successful performances were made possible by intensive training in Mongolia, where he trained with the national team, conducting no less than two training sessions a day for a month.
In the final match, which lasted four minutes, Daniel won by ippon against Filipino John Viron Ferrer at the competition held at Rajamangala University of Technology in Thanyaburi. Previously, he had won bronze medals in the under 73 kg weight category at the Games in Hanoi in 2021 and Phnom Penh in 2023.
After his triumph, Daniel looked up to the sky and dedicated the gold medal to his late father, a 61-year-old retired lawyer who passed away on November 27 from a heart attack while he was training in Mongolia.
Daniel, who drew public attention after winning a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, explained that his success was made possible by hard training in Mongolia.
“I significantly improved my strength and technique under the guidance of Sensei Battulga Dashgombo. Imagine what it’s like to train every day in sub-zero temperatures,” he shared.
According to Daniel, his Mongolian coach had previously worked in Bandar Penawar, Johor, about 20 years ago.
Tatar S.Maidar
source: MiddleAsianNew
