Johor karate player A.Leidaneswaran ended his final Malaysia Games (SUKMA) campaign on a high after winning gold despite competing with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
The 24-year-old claimed the men’s under-67KG individual kumite gold at the Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) in Shah Alam on Thursday. The victory was more meaningful for Leidaneswaran, who has been dealing with an ACL injury in his left leg. Previously the injury had forced him to stop competing in overseas tournaments.
Having won silver at the previous SUKMA in Sarawak, Leidaneswaran described this year’s Games as his “last dance” for Johor and was determined to finish with gold.
His journey was not easy. During his bout against Sarawak’s Muhammad Haziq Mohammad Shamsudin, he received a final warning and knew another offence could cost him his chance at the title. Despite the pressure and pain, he stayed focused and continued fighting.
Pushing Through the Pain for One Final Gold
Doctors had advised Leidaneswaran earlier to rest and undergo surgery. However, he chose to postpone the treatment and continue preparing for SUKMA. At times, he even kept the pain to himself as he feared his coach would ask him to stop training. His determination paid off with the gold medal he had been working towards.
Leidaneswaran credited his parents, coaches, and teammates for supporting him throughout the difficult journey. He is now scheduled to undergo surgery for his left ACL injury in October. For Leidaneswaran, the pain of competing was difficult but winning the gold medal made the struggle worth it.
Johor made more reason to celebrate in karate as S.Vaissnavi also won gold in the women’s under 50KG individual kumite, defeating federal Territories representative R. Tharshinny. Vaissnavi had also suffered with ACL injury to her right knee previously, but fought through the pain to bring another gold medal home for Johor.
Sources: bernama
