Dzulkifli dedicates surprise Sukma hammer throw victory to mother

Dzulkifli Abu Dzarda, a 17-year-old athlete from Kangar, clinched the gold medal in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) men's hammer throw event on Wednesday. The victory was a personal best for the young athlete, who had not expected to win a medal or even beat his previous personal best. Dzulkifli improved his best by two metres, outperforming Nabil Faiz Ayub of Sabah and Daniel Lau Hang Jung of Sarawak in the competition.

His first throw was disqualified, but he then threw distances of 45.12m, 48.27m, 46.56m, 47.47m, and ultimately 50.53m. Accomplishing his personal best, Dzulkifli dedicated the gold medal to his mother, Nor Azdaleela Amy, who sacrificed her job to focus on raising him and his younger brother after their father left the family.

"I dedicate the gold medal to my mother, Nor Azdaleela Amy, who sacrificed as a single person to take care of me since my dad left us," said Dzulkifli. "Without her, I wouldn't have been able to achieve my dream as an athlete."

Dzulkifli emphasized that he had no pressure entering the Sukma as this was his first event in the competition. He attributed his success to his mother's unwavering support, which enabled him to deliver an exceptional performance.

"My idol is national champion Sadat Marzuki Ajisan, who won silver in last year's SEA Games," said Dzulkifli. "I want to follow in his footsteps to be a national champion one day."