ALTHOUGH karate exponent S. Prem Kumar is motivated in his efforts to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in July, he’ll be the first to admit that it will not be an easy task.
As karate will make its debut in Tokyo, the 55kg athlete faces the unenviable task of having to bulk up ─ since the lightest weight category for the sport is below 67kg ─ in order to battle it out with far bigger opponents in the Paris qualifiers in June.
Basically, he will be facing a David-versus-Goliath scenario with far bigger opponents than he is accustomed to.
Prem Kumar won the gold in the men’s kumite 55kg at the 2019 SEA Games and bronze for the same event at the 2019 Asian Karate Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
"The road to Tokyo will be tough as only the top three will qualify to compete at the Olympics. On top of that, I need to compete in the below 67kg category," said Prem Kumar.
“However, I am a fighter and I will not give up without trying.”
The Segambut boy, who took up karate at the age of four as a form of self-defence, said he learned a lot throughout his sporting career.
“I learned character and perseverance," he said. “There were times that I wanted to give up.
"For instance, I had a dry spell during my first five years in senior competition. Nevertheless, my then Latvian coach, Andris Vasiljevs, encouraged me and said, ‘if I quit today, I will forever be a quitter’. These words were harsh but it built me up, and I am eternally in his debt for being there for me.
“Despite the challenges I’ve faced as a result of the pandemic, I have been training very hard because it is my dream to participate in the Olympics. Last year was challenging as training on your own is very different.
“During the early days of the Movement Control Order, I stayed home and only returned to the Bukit Jalil National Sports Institute in June."
Evidently, he wants to prove a point or two by qualifying for the Olympics.
Aspiring to be a businessman in the future, Prem Kumar wants to encourage youngsters to take up karate. "It is good for your body and mind to learn self-defence”, he said.
Goliath or not, Prem Kumar is set to inflict pain on his opponents in Paris, and he intends to do just that. ─ The Vibes, 15 February 2021
Watch how Prem Kumar pushes himself towards his Olympic dream.
