M. Menaga Dewi, Kedah’s judoka overcame a difficult period of grief to win the women’s under-48KG judo gold medal at the Malaysian Games (SUKMA). The 19-year-old defeated Selangor’s Lucus Chong Wen Le 1-0 in a close final at IDCC Shah Alam, winning her first SUKMA gold after finishing as a runner-up at the 2024 Games.
The victory was even more meaningful for Menaga, who lost her grandmother about two weeks before the competition. She entered the games struggling with her focus and confidence, and admitted that she did not expect to finish on top of the podium.
However, before starting the game, Menaga made a personal decision to dedicate her performance to her late grandmother. That became her motivation as she fought through the competition and eventually won the gold medal.
Her grandmother had been one of her biggest sources of encouragement throughout her sporting journey. Menaga shared that whenever she lost a match, her grandmother would remind her that she is capable of doing better.
The victory made Menaga to finally achieve the results she had been working towards and honour the person who had always pushed her to improve. Menaga’s journey in judo started at Sekolah Sukan Tunku Mahkota Ismail (SSTMI) in Johor, where she trained in the sport for 6 to 7 years. She is also a national team member alongside her final opponent, Lucus.
Another important person behind her journey is her and guardian Kalairani Bapmaruthai, who raised Menaga since she was 10 years old. Kalairani travelled from Singapore with her family to watch Menaga compete, and support her sporting journey since she began collecting medals during her school years.
After settling for silver at the previous SUKMA, Menaga’s return to win the gold this time marked a major sports achievement and an emotional tribute to her late grandmother.
Sources: Nst
