Latest news with #Syarul
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Multiple world champions deserve pension scheme, says Syarul
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Syarul Azman Mahen Abdullah has reiterated the need for there to be a pension scheme for retired multiple world champions in non-Olympic sports. Syarul, a six-time world championship winning bodybuilder, believes that athletes who have won two or more world championship titles in their respective sports should be entitled to receive such a pension. "I hope the Youth and Sports Ministry will consider providing a pension to such athletes from non-Olympic sports," said Syarul when met recently. "If an athlete wins a world title once, people can say he or she was lucky, or say that none of the big guns competed that year. "But if an athlete wins the world title two, three, four or five times, that is not luck. "I think a minimal pension amount of RM2,000 would be sufficient. There are also not that many athletes who have won multiple world titles in non-Olympic sports, we are not talking about a battalion here. "I believe this pension is very important. Athletes (once retired from competition) can coach or open an academy when they are still relatively young but what are they going to do once they reach an old age? They can't go on working forever. "I have spoken about this before but it fell on deaf ears." Besides Syarul himself, eight-time world champion Datuk Nicol David (squash) and four-time world champion Al Jufferi Jamari (pencak silat) are among those who would be eligible for the pension proposed by Syarul. Syarul believes athletes who excel at the highest level in non-Olympic sports deserve to be recognised just like their counterparts from Olympic sports. "I sympathise with athletes from non-Olympic sports," said Syarul. "Athletes from Olympic sports are taken care of like the golden child and have plenty of programmes for them. "But you have to remember that athletes from non-Olympic sports also win medals for the country consistently." Olympic gold, silver and bronze medallists receive a lifetime pension of RM5,000, RM3,000 and RM2,000 respectively via the National Athletes Incentive Scheme. The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) has in recent years suggested setting up a trust fund to fund an expanded pension scheme for all Malaysian athletes. The scheme, however, has yet to get off the ground.
New Straits Times
29-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Malaysia to send massive bodybuilding squad to Thailand
KUALA LUMPUR: National coach Datuk Syarul Azman Mahen Abdullah is looking forward to fielding the largest-ever Malaysian bodybuilding contingent in an international competition. He is expecting to send 40 athletes to represent Malaysia at the Asian and Southeast Asian Championships in Bangkok on Aug 18-25. Syarul said the squad will be composed of both old and new faces. "This year, Thailand has decided to host both the Southeast Asian as well as the Asian Championships together," said Syarul recently. "This is the first time Malaysia is sending this many athletes to a competition. "When I was still competing, we would only send eight to 10 athletes at most. "It is exciting but also challenging at the same time. It is not easy to guide 40 athletes who each have different requirements. "From the 40 athletes, some of them are paying out of their own pockets to compete in Bangkok as they have never represented the country before. "For those who have strong track records, they are sponsored by the National Sports Council." Syarul, who retired from competitive bodybuilding last year after winning six World Championship titles, expects the contingent to win at least two gold medals in the Asian Championships. "It is a bit hard to predict who will win the medals because we have a number of athletes with strong potential to do so," said Syarul. "I am hoping at least two of them will win in their categories." Among those expected to shine for Malaysia at the Asian meet includes, Meilura Dora Jimmy, Philomena Dexclyn Siar, Zmarul Al Adam Pulutan Abdullah and Faiz Ariffin who have all tasted success at the international level before.
New Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Health
- New Straits Times
Performance-enhancing drugs are everywhere on social media, says Syarul
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Syarul Azman Mahen Abdullah, a six-time World and Asian bodybuilding champion, is deeply concerned by how easy it is to buy banned performance-enhancing drugs in Malaysia today. Syarul said sales of such drugs online, especially on social media, have become rampant and fears users could seriously harm themselves. He urged the government to take stern action to prevent the issue from getting worse. "There are so many performance enhancing drugs available on social media today, I have even had people offer such drugs to me," said Syarul when met today (May 26). "Sometimes I check the people or accounts who are following me on social media. "I get shocked at times when I check and see that they are actually selling all sorts of these performance-enhancing substances. "Newcomers to the sport might see this as a shortcut and try to use these substances. It can affect their health very seriously and can even cause a heart attack. "These are actually drugs which are meant to be used under strict doctor supervision in hospitals. "In the past, you had to go to the gym and try and talk to people to get such substances but now, everything is done online. "The government has to do something to stop this. I believe the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) can do something about it." Syarul said growth hormones, peptides and anabolic steroids among the performance-enhancing substances commonly sold. Syarul retired from competitive bodybuilding last year and currently coaches the national bodybuilding team. He was speaking after attending the launch of the Drug Free Youth Campaign awareness video in Kuala Lumpur today (May 26) - officiated by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh - in cooperation with TGV Cinemas. TGV Cinemas will from now be screening a short drug awareness video before movies are shown at their cinemas nationwide. This is to create greater awareness regarding the dangers of recreational drug use.
