Amir smiled as he spoke about the importance of Glasgow 2026, “It’s like an eye-opener, a starting point for the World Judo Tour. Winning this gives me confidence for being on even bigger stages in the future.”
Why judo though? Football, badminton and sepak takraw (traditional Southeast Asian kick-volleyball) are all popular in Malaysia, so how did Amir find his way to the dojo?
“I started judo because I was a very overweight child and my mum told me to find a hobby and lose weight. I looked at a few activities but was interested in judo. It became a hobby and then a passion and now I must do the real work, which I also love."
"I’m so grateful to my mum; she always nurtured me. From the continental events and beyond, she always funded me and provided the stepping stones I needed. My older sister did a little bit of judo in high school but didn’t keep going. She is a doctor now. My mum told at one point that if I’m not doing judo I would have to study solely like my sister did. Now I’m doing judo and also studying, environmental biology at University of Science Malaysia (USM).”
Watching Amir move through the spaces of high level judo makes everyone smile. He is an athlete who simply loves what he is doing, exuding positivity at all times.
When asked what he has gained from judo, his answer hits home, “I have learned humility from this sport and to always respect our opponents. Without my opponent I cannot be a champion. It’s so important to respect them and our training partners, they are everything in this sport.”
Commonwealth champion Amir Daniel Bin Abdul Majeed is ready to take his next steps in judo, representing Malaysia proudly, and he will be doing so as a Technicolor illustration of Jita Kyoei.
