KUALA LUMPUR: World 2016 silat champion, Mohd Al-Jufferi Jamari has full confidence in his efforts to grab his fourth consecutive gold medal at the SEA Games when it is being held in his home country.
After achieving a hattrick in winning the gold medal in Singapore two years ago, he would be competing in the Putra E Class (65-70kg) in an effort to obtain the best result in front of the home crowd at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games 2017.
“I have achieved a hattrick, winning three times consecutively in the SEA Games previously and a hattrick in the world championships.
“My target now is to go for the fourth gold medal consecutively in this championship,” he told Bernama recently.
Mohd Al-Jufferi had won three gold medals consecutively at the SEA Games since 2011 in Indonesia, and repeating the feat in Myanmar in 2013, before achieving a hattrick in the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore.
Commenting on his closest rival, he said silat exponents from Indonesia and Vietnam were his main rivals in defending the gold medals.
“To me, all the opponents are strong and they want to beat me, but specifically, the competitors from Indonesia and Vietnam are certainly my staunch rivals,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mohd Al-Jufferi, who was selected as a flag bearer together with Malaysia’s track cycling champion, Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and diving queen Cheong Jun Hoong for the official opening of the 29th SEA Games at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Aug 19, said he felt proud to be given the responsibility.-- BERNAMA