The waving Jalur Gemilang slowly hoisted as “Negaraku” played in the background. On the podium stood his protégé, 28-year-old Muhammad Ridzuan Puzi, who had just won Malaysia’s first-ever Paralympic gold medal.
For the veteran coach, it was a moment that brought him close to tears. And given that this was the crowning moment of Ridzuan’s journey from burger seller to the race track, it’s easy to understand why.
Today, Ridzuan, who also calls himself Dik Wan, says he’s all set for a repeat performance. The athlete, who won a gold in the Men’s T36 100m sprint in the last Paralympics, is looking to raise the Jalur Gemilang again, this time at the pandemic-postponed 2020 Tokyo Summer Paralympics in Japan.
And Jaganathan, who first saw Ridzuan’s potential all those years ago, knows the young lad has it in him to make his country proud once again.
“I first met him when he was just a young man helping out at a burger stall, cutting vegetables,” he tells FMT. “At the time his future was uncertain, but I saw a spark of potential in him.”
The eagled-eyed coach said it took quite a bit of coaxing but, eventually, the shy Ridzuan took up the challenge. And before long, Jaganathan knew he had a future Paralympian under his wing.
All the same, Jaganathan had his work cut out for him. Honing Ridzuan’s talents proved quite a challenge, as the coach had to work around the limits of the young man’s cerebral palsy.
“It was no easy task to train him. I’d get him into the proper start position, drill it into him, and then a few minutes later, he’d come up to me, saying he’d forgotten how to do it.”
If training sessions took too long or appeared unproductive, the clearly frustrated Ridzuan would refuse to continue training for the rest of the day.
Despite the difficulties in training, the promise that Jaganathan saw in Ridzuan began to show itself, first in fits and starts, then more consistently.
When Ridzuan made his debut in the 2011 Asean Para Games, he came home beaming with a shiny medal around his neck.
And in the run-up to the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, Jaganathan had a hunch Ridzuan would be able to perform far better than anyone gave him credit for.
During training, Jaganathan noticed a pattern in Ridzuan’s performance: he would start off slow before eventually picking up speed, then push to the finish line like his life depended on it.
Jaganathan went to Rio with high hopes that Ridzuan and the rest of the Malaysian team would make the country proud. And make the country proud they did.
“As soon as he took the lead past the 60m point, I knew he was bringing home a gold medal,” Jaganathan says, still with pride in his voice.
Five years later, Jaganathan is certain the success achieved during the 2016 Games will be repeated in Tokyo this year, where the Paralympics will be held from Aug 24 to Sept 5.
“I foresee we will bring home at least two gold medals this year,” he says, citing promising performances from Ridzuan and other members of the Paralympian team.
Ridzuan is equally pumped, saying he is determined to win a medal in Tokyo, and is looking forward to Malaysians back home rooting for him and his team.