SHAH ALAM, Aug 17 — Two weeks before the Malaysian Games (SUKMA) Perak 2018, Selangor ex-diver Muhammad Syahmi Mohd Rezal was unsure whether he would even be able to compete in the biggest competition of his career.
An ankle injury had forced the then 17-year-old to undergo intensive physiotherapy as he raced against time to recover.
“For a diver, the ankle is among the most important parts of the body. Every take-off depends on it,” he said in a recent interview with Media Selangor.
Adding to the pressure, Syahmi believed it could be his final SUKMA appearance.
“I did not know if I would ever get another chance to perform. My coach told me if I could tolerate the pain, (I should) continue. If I couldn’t, then I had to withdraw. The decision was mine,” he said.
Instead, Syahmi chose to compete, a decision that would become one of the defining moments of his sporting career.
Not only did he overcome the injury, but he exceeded his own expectations, winning gold for Selangor in synchronised diving event alongside his younger brother Haris, adding two more medals to his collection.
“I did not expect to win gold. It was one of my targeted events, but because of the injury, I was not confident. Thank God, I managed to win,” Syahmi said.
The partnership with Haris only came about after his original synchronised partner was injured ahead of the Games, but years of training together meant adapting came naturally.
For Syahmi, the triumph meant far more than standing on the podium; it represented almost a decade of perseverance that began long before anyone knew his name.
Sport discovered by accident
He first discovered diving in Year 1, when coaches visited his primary school to recruit talent while he was attending recreational swimming lessons.
“I did not even know what diving actually was. My parents did not know either… Around 50 children joined the trial that day and I was the only one from that intake who remained in the sport,” Syahmi said.
Although national coaches noticed his potential after he finished third at one of his earliest competitions, he insisted success never came naturally.
“I never thought I had natural talent," Syahmi said, crediting his father for keeping him grounded.
"My father always reminded me not to think we were already good enough. We were always the underdogs, so we just did our best.”
That mindset would eventually become the foundation of his career.
Long before the medals came, Syahmi's days were filled with school, training, and tuition, with his schedules starting before sunrise until late at night.
He would attend school during the day, train until evening, rush to tuition classes at night and complete his homework before bed or sometimes as early as 5am the next morning — a demanding routine that continued even after he entered sports school.
“There was never really any break,” Syahmi said.
Despite the hectic schedule, his parents made one thing clear: sports could never come at the expense of education.
“My parents took care of my health, my studies, and my training. They did not want me to focus on only one thing; they wanted both academics and sport to improve together,” Syahmi said.
Giving back to the next generation
Today, although his competitive career has come to an end, Syahmi’s connection with the sport remains strong.
While pursuing higher learning, he continues to give back as a part-time coach for Selangor's diving team, helping prepare the next generation of divers hoping to represent the state.
Syahmi will also be a judge at SUKMA Selangor 2026.
Looking back, he believes the greatest lesson the sport taught him was discipline.
“From listening to teachers in school, coaches at training and parents at home, the experience shaped not only my athletic career but also the person I became,” Syahmi said.
He hopes athletes embrace SUKMA Selangor 2026 without letting the pressure overwhelm them.
Syahmi’s message is simple: “Do your best, trust the training you did, listen to your coaches, and avoid injury. Compete with yourself; be a better version of yourself than yesterday.”
