KUALA LUMPUR: Abdullah Al Rashidi once told National Shooting Association of Malaysia secretary Major (rtd) Jasni Shaari that he ''will die'' if he does not train everyday.
Such devotion to his sport has made the 60-year-old Kuwaiti a three-time world champion. And at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Abdullah broke the world record for skeet on Wednesday with a perfect score of 60 for gold.
So, what's the secret? Actually, there is no mystery coming out of the desert.
Abdullah will tell you the same thing that every coach in the world tells every athlete: "Work hard, train hard."
But are Malaysians prepared to train like Abdullah, follow a slavish-like regimen that would make a Spartan proud.
Jasni said Abdullah trains daily except for Friday when the shooting range in Kuwait is closed for prayers.
"Shooting is in the blood of Abdullah. He told me last month, when I was in Kuwait for an Asian Shooting Federation meeting, that he will die if he does not train everyday.
"He's so passionate about his training. Though he's 60, he continues to compete and win honours for his country."
Jasni said he came to know Abdullah after the former was appointed as the Kuwait Shooting Federation technical director in 2011.
"I worked for 11 years in Kuwait until 2022. Abdullah trains six days a week from morning to evening.
"The cartridges used by Abdullah are RC4 of Italy, and it costs US$20 per box. He uses an average 10 boxes for training daily. It costs him US$200 a day for training.
"It's not surprising that Abdullah broke the world record at the Asian Games," said Jasni.
Abdullah won the World Championships in 1995, 1997 and 1998. He is also the winner of four World Cup events.
Jasni said in comparison, the Malaysian skeet and trap shooters train only twice a week.
"Most of them are businessmen who use their own guns and buy four to five boxes of ammo to train.
"To be a world champion you need to train daily and also have the talent."