PUTRAJAYA – Teacher Intan Zulaikha Jusoh's noble efforts of motivating her amputee student to complete a 100-metre race using a crutch earned her the Special Inspirational Award at the National Youth Premier Awards (APBN) yesterday.
Everyone at the event was touched as they watched a recent viral video showing the 35-year-old teacher running along the sideline to encourage her student, Muhammad Aqil Naufal Zahiran, 11, who was competing against other able-bodied students to cross the finish line.
Intan Zulaikha, a teacher from SK Felda Lepar Utara 1 in Jerantut, Pahang, was accompanied by Muhammad Aqil as she received the inaugural special award, a trophy and RM10,000 from Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh at the awards ceremony.
When met by reporters after the APBN ceremony, Intan revealed to reporters after the ceremony that her main reason for motivating Aqil was that he was keen on sports and aspired to become a Malaysian athlete.
"Previously, Muhamad Aqil did not participate in sports due to his physical disability, but when I asked him if he wanted to take part, he agreed.
"As a teacher, if the student is keen, I will help them so that their talent will stand out," Intan said, adding that Aqil was now undergoing sports training and participating in the Malaysian Amputee Football Association (Mafa), thanks to his family and school’s encouragement.
"I'm grateful for this award, I really didn't know before that my running had been recorded... Then two days later, I found out it had gone viral," she said.
Meanwhile, Aqil said that he hoped to become a national football player in the future.
“I want to represent the country,” said the student, who is proud his teacher bagged the special APBN award.
Aqil, a student of the Full Inclusive Education Programme at a primary school in Pahang, lost his left leg due to a bacterial infection in 2015.
APBN, which began in 1988, is a platform to celebrate the outstanding achievements of national youth athletes on the international stage. This year, APBN honoured athletes in four main award categories, two special award categories, and five youth icon categories.
This year’s recipients include Persatuan Belia Kerteh Felda 03 as youth organisations champion, while OKU Youth Council founder and president Mohd Faiz Shuhaimi was crowned as persons with disabilities youth icon.
National squash player S. Sivasangari, a 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games gold medalist, received an APBN special award. – Bernama, November 12, 2023
