By frontside
8 November, Padang, Indonesia
Atlet papan selaju muda negara, Muhammad Mer Nullah Khan atau lebih dikenali sebagai Momo Khan, meneruskan program Grind To Olympic Los Angeles 2028 dengan menyertai dua kejohanan serantau, di Bali dan Padang, Indonesia.
Penyertaan dua kejohanan ini amat penting untuk membaiki kelemahan dan meningkatkan kekuatan Momo, serta melihat kemampuan pencabar lain dari rantau ini bagi menghadapi Sukan SEA di Chonburi dan Songkhla, Thailand pada Disember tahun depan.
Baru-baru ini, Momo, 15 tahun menduduki tempat ke-17 kejohanan King of Kuta di Bali dalam kategori terbuka.
Ia merupakan peningkatan selepas berjaya ke separuh akhir kejohanan MASS di Singapura, yang turut menyaksikan penyertaan atlet-atlet terbaik dari Asia Tenggara, selain China dan Jepun.
Menurut pengurus dan jurulatih Momo, Mariss Khan, fokus kini adalah untuk memberikan pendedahan kepadanya untuk menyerap tekanan dan menyempurnakan semua trik yang dirancang dalam kejohanan.
“Momo mampu bersaing dengan trik-trik yang dimainkan oleh atlet terbaik dari rantau ini, malah dia beraksi lebih baik daripada atlet-atlet senior negara yang lain,” kata Mariss.
“Momo dengan rakan sepasukannya dari The Razkals, Mahathir Nor Daniel sahaja yang mampu layak ke separuh akhir di MASS Singapura dalam kategori terbuka dan di Bali dia mengatasi dua lagi wakil negara dari segi kutipan mata dan kedudukan”
“Ini kerana Momo mampu melakukan trik pada halangan yang lebih besar di gelanggang kejohanan berbanding yang lain, kini fokus untuk beri pendedahan dan menyempurnakan trik-trik tersebut semasa kejohanan”
“Kita tiada pilihan selain daripada memastikan Momo menyertai kejohanan-kejohanan di Asia Tenggara seperti Indonesia, Thailand dan Filipina di mana mereka mempunyai atlet yang mampu menang pingat di kejohanan serantau.”
Mariss yang juga bapa kepada Momo, merupakan seorang bekas juri kejohanan sukan lasak terkemuka, X Games anjuran ESPN dan banyak lagi kejohanan lain di Asia sejak tahun 2000, malah pernah bertugas sebagai pengurus pasukan papan selaju kebangsaan di bawah Persatuan Sukan Ekstrem Malaysia (ESAM).
Momo dan Mariss kini berada di Padang, Indonesia untuk menyertai kejohanan papan selaju Padang Skateland, yang dijadual berlangsung pada 9 dan 10 November ini.
Pada masa sama, Momo juga dijemput menjalani latihan bersama pasukan papan selaju kebangsaan Indonesia di sebuah fasiliti di Padang Panjang pada sehari selepas kejohanan di Padang.
Program pembangunan papan selaju Momo dan Mahathir ini diusahakan pasukan persedirian, The Razkals yang ditubuhkan pada 2020, untuk membangunkan atlet negara berprestasi tinggi bagi merealisasikan impian negara untuk mempunyai wakil di Olimpik Los Angeles 2028.
Momo dan Mahathir sudahpun menyertai Kejohanan Dunia Street Tokyo 2023 dan juga menduduki kelompok tujuh terbaik dalam kejohanan kebangsaan anjuran Persekutuan Luncur Beroda Malaysia (MYSKATE), dimana Mahathir menduduki tangga pertama.
Dalam perkembangan lain, MYSKATE dan Jawatankuasa Teknikal Kebangsaan (NTC) Papan Selaju bakal melengkapkan kertas kerja mengenai perancangan membangunkan atlet papan selaju berprestasi tinggi, selepas mengadakan perbincangan dengan Timbalan Ketua Pengarah (Pembangunan Sukan) Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN), Jefri Ngadirin, dua minggu yang lalu.
Menurut presiden MYSKATE, Idroose Tambarin, fokus harus diberikan kepada atlet-atlet muda untuk proses pembangunan jangka panjang layak ke Sukan Olimpik.
“Fokus kami (MYSKATE) buat masa ini bukan untuk membentuk bakat baharu tetapi untuk fokus kepada bakat yang boleh diketengahkan sebagai atlet berprestasi tinggi,” kata Idroose.
Antara cadangan yang diberikan NTC dalam perbincangan itu adalah memfokuskan kepada atlet muda yang sudahpun menunjukkan potensi mereka di peringkat tertinggi iaitu Mahathir, 16 tahun dan Momo.
“Kita (MYSKATE) perlu menyediakan landasan yang betul untuk atlet-atlet muda ke arah menjadi seorang atlet berprestasi tinggi bersama dengan MSN” jelas Idroose lagi.
Bagaimanapun, atlet muda dan senior yang lain tidak akan dipinggirkan dalam pembangunan papan selaju, malah Mahathir dan Momo diletakkan sebagai penanda aras untuk atlet lain yang dibangunkan oleh kelab, pasukan persendirian serta individu lain yang akan dipantau oleh pengerusi NTC Papan Selaju MYSKATE, Joseph Romey Dures.
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Momo Begins Preparations for 2025 SEA Games
8 November, Padang, Indonesia
Young national skateboarder, Muhammad Mer Nullah Khan, better known as Momo Khan, is advancing in the “Grind to Olympic Los Angeles 2028” program by competing in two regional competitions in Bali and Padang, Indonesia.
These two events are crucial for Momo to identify weaknesses and strengthen his skills, as well as assess the capabilities of other competitors from the region in preparation for the SEA Games in Chonburi and Songkhla, Thailand, next December.
Recently, the 15-year-old Momo placed 17th in the King of Kuta tournament in Bali in the open category. This marks an improvement from his previous semi-final finish at the MASS tournament in Singapore, which featured top athletes from Southeast Asia as well as China and Japan.
According to Momo’s manager and coach, Mariss Khan, the focus now is on exposing Momo to competition pressures and perfecting all planned tricks.
“Momo can perform tricks that are on par with the best athletes from this region, and he even performed better than other senior national athletes,” Mariss said.
“Only Momo and his Razkals teammate, Mahathir Nor Daniel, managed to qualify for the semi-finals in the open category at MASS Singapore, and in Bali, he scored higher and ranked better than two other national representatives.”
“Momo can perform tricks on larger obstacles at the tournament venues compared to others, so our focus is now on exposing him to perfect these tricks during competitions.”
“We have no choice but to ensure that Momo competes in Southeast Asian tournaments such as in Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines, where they have medal-contending athletes in regional tournaments.”
Mariss, who is also Momo’s father, is a former judge for major extreme sports tournaments, including the ESPN-organized X Games and numerous other tournaments in Asia since 2000. He also served as manager of the national skateboarding team under the Malaysian Extreme Sports Association (ESAM).
Momo and Mariss are currently in Padang, Indonesia, for the Padang Skateland skateboarding competition, scheduled for November 9 and 10.
At the same time, Momo has been invited to train with Indonesia’s national skateboarding team at a facility in Padang Panjang the day after the tournament in Padang.
The Razkals, a private team established in 2020 to develop high-performance national athletes and realize the country’s dream of having representation at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, is managing the skateboarding development program for Momo and Mahathir.
Momo and Mahathir have already competed in the Tokyo 2023 World Street Championships and ranked among the top seven in the national championships organized by the Malaysian Roller Sports Federation (MYSKATE), where Mahathir finished in first place.
In other developments, MYSKATE and the National Skateboarding Technical Committee (NTC) will soon finalize a proposal for developing high-performance skateboarders, following a discussion with Jefri Ngadirin, the Deputy Director-General (Sports Development) of the National Sports Council (NSC), two weeks ago.
According to MYSKATE president Idroose Tambarin, the focus should be on young athletes for long-term development toward Olympic qualification.
“Our (MYSKATE’s) focus is not to create new talents but to emphasize talents with the potential to become high-performance athletes,” said Idroose.
Among NTC’s recommendations during the discussion was to focus on young athletes who have already shown potential at the highest level, namely, 16-year-old Mahathir and Momo.
“We (MYSKATE) need to provide a proper foundation for young athletes to become high-performance athletes in collaboration with the NSC,” Idroose added.
However, other young and senior athletes will not be overlooked in skateboarding development. Mahathir and Momo have been set as benchmarks for other athletes developed by clubs, private teams, and individuals, all of whom will be overseen by MYSKATE’s NTC Skateboarding chairman, Joseph Romey Dures.
About The Razkals:
The Razkals is a dynamic skateboarding talent development organization based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia established in 2020 by Newsantara Distribution, a skateboarding supply goods company. Our mission is to identify, nurture, and guide the progress of exceptionally talented young skateboarders between the ages of 6 and 16.
We are deeply committed to promoting the growth of skateboarding as a sport and providing a platform for budding athletes to pursue their passion while fostering a culture of excellence and camaraderie. We envision a future where Malaysian skateboarders consistently compete on the international stage, earning recognition and accolades. We aspire to create an inclusive and supportive skateboarding community that celebrates diversity and encourages the next generation of skateboarding champions, and the Olympics.
Contact The Razkals:
Team Manager: Shahrizul Ikwan Hussain (017-268 6225)
Email: ijoyqikwan81@gmail.com | frontsidemalaysia@gmail.com
Malaysian Skateboarding Website: www.frontsidetv.com