'Who cares about pain?': Injured silat exponent Aliff wins Sukma gold

Shah Alam witnessed Selangor's silat star Aliff Damien Mohd Redzuan triumph over excruciating pain in his knees and ankle to clinch the men's solo gold at Sukma on Sunday. Aliff outscored his Perak rival Hadif Irfan Mustaffa Kamal by a slim margin of 0.01 points. Despite his injuries demanding a longer recuperation period, Aliff opted to continue competing, driven by the desire for the gold.

Even amidst the agony, Aliff declared, "Who cares about that? For a gold medal, I am willing to do anything." The Universiti Teknologi MARA student explained that his left knee had initially required injections, which later led to similar treatments for his right knee and left ankle. Doctors advised a six-week recovery, but Aliff felt compelled to preserve his momentum heading into the Games.

Initially, pain from his left knee resulted in injections, followed by treatment for his right knee and left ankle. The doctor cautioned prolonged inactivity would jeopardize his progress. Aliff admitted that the knees and ankles are vital for the solo male event, demanding intricate movements and high precision. To maintain his edge, he chose to endure the pain, stating, "My method was to just push through it.

Even though it was painful to achieve that precision in movement, I tried my best. That was my weapon to stay motivated." Aliff consulted his parents before resuming training, ensuring he wouldn't lose his competitive edge.