Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Sprinter Muhammad Firdaus Ar-Rasyid Hj Md Idris will become the first two-time Bruneian Olympian in Athletics.
He joins Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Abdul Hakeem, who represented the Sultanate at the 1996 and 2000 editions in Shooting, as the only ones to make two appearances at the Olympics.
"To be honest, I never thought I would be able to go for another Olympic Games," said Firdaus.
"It's an incredible honour and privilege being the first Bruneian athlete (in Athletics) to achieve this milestone and this fills me with immense pride and gratitude," he added.
"I feel very excited because this time around there are no restrictions due to covid like before (in Tokyo).
"There will be spectators, and the vibe will be a lot more happening," he continued.
It hasn't been all smooth sailing for the 27-year-old on his road to the Olympics due to the lack of competition.
"Alhamdulillah training was okay. Coach (Azmize Abdul Rahman) has been helping me a lot to improve since last year," said Firdaus.
"But this year it has been quiet. There were no outside competitions so we just focused on training here in Brunei and do some limited time trials," he added.
He has only had three competitions outside of the country since the SEA Games in May last year with the last being the Sibu Open in November.
"It's been hard after the SEA Games last year. We kept on trying to find competitions overseas," said Firdaus.
"I was able to fund myself to go for three competitions whereby I managed to break the 100m national record (of 10.48s at the Tuaran Open).
"The national team couldn't rely on the association to help us find overseas competition so we have been working on it by ourselves," he added.
When asked on his target at this year's Olympics, Firdaus replied: "Of course my target is to get a good season's best, qualify to the next round and perform to my absolute best.
"Whether I achieve my goals or not, I am committed to giving my all and embracing every moment of the Olympic experience," he concluded.
