Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 14, 2023: His Royal Highness Prince Sufri Bolkiah, President of Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council, believes “full discipline” has been behind Brunei’s two gold medals at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia.
Both gold medals have come in wushu, from Mohamad Adi Salihin bin Roslan and Hosea Wong Zheng Yu. It was Salihin’s third gold medal in consecutive SEA Games dating back to Philippines 2019 – an unprecedented achievement in Brunei sport.
“I am very happy because we are only sending about 65 athletes in total and then we are getting two gold medals, so by proportion it is a very good result for the number of athletes,” HRH Prince Sufri Bolkiah said in an interview with the OCA on Sunday, May 14.
“I like and support all sports, but wushu shows full dedication in terms of their training, in terms of the discipline – and then that produces results. I believe in sports if you have no discipline, you won’t get the result. Discipline is inculcated in you. You have to be there as an athlete and, with full discipline, you get the result.”
The Secretary General of Brunei Darussalam NOC, Mr. Zuraimi Abdul Sani, said the two gold medals had made a big impact back home, with congratulatory messages flooding in to the SEA Games delegation in Cambodia.
Yet wushu took a while to establish itself, as Zuraimi explains: “When they first started, wushu had a tough time in Brunei because it was the first sport being brought in from China which we don’t even know what wushu is all about.
“The federation worked hard; they picked the athletes and they gave good discipline to the athletes until today – in fact Adi Salihin was one of those young athletes who came from those grassroots levels when they set up the federation in 2003 until today.
“So, with all the discipline and dedication they put up and, of course with support from His Royal Highness, NOC and the Government, they excelled.”
HRH Prince Surfri Bolkiah will leave Cambodia with a very favourable impression, not just of the 32nd SEA Games but also the local people.
“I am so happy. We have not had a single complaint from our athletes regarding the organization of the Games here. Everything was perfect for Brunei, no problem.
“The people are friendly and receptable to us as a foreigner, as a guest of this country. Everywhere we go they greet us with respect and with big smiles and this is something that is a good welcoming environment for us as a foreigner,” His Royal Highness commented.