Malaysian judoka Amir Daniel Abdul Majeed delivered a historic first for the nation by winning gold in the men’s under-81kg category at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on 1 August.
The 21-year-old from Penang defeated South Africa’s Timothy Meuwsen via waza-ari with a kata-guruma technique in a four-minute final at the Scottish Event Campus, as reported by Bernama. Amir Daniel, ranked 117th globally, overcame the 41st-ranked Meuwsen after booking his place in the final by beating Australia’s Keishin Ochi in the semi-finals, The Star reported.
“Perhaps after this I can rest for a week and spend time with my family,” Amir Daniel told Bernama immediately after the bout, which was witnessed by his mother Yeoh Suatkhim and sister Nur Yasmeen at the venue.
“This medal is for all Malaysians. This is Malaysia’s first-ever Commonwealth Games judo gold medal, and I can say this medal holds immense value. All the sacrifices, blood, sweat, and tears finally yielded the best success,” he said, adding that he juggled training, studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia, and family time throughout his preparation.
“The sacrifices were in terms of time and finances, aside from time with family. Every day I had to undergo training and continue my studies. There was never time for me to sit down and ask my mother how her day went,” he told Bernama.
He moved up to the under-81kg division after winning bronze in the under-73kg category at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, which was also a first for Malaysian judo at the event.
The road to Glasgow was not without setbacks. Amir Daniel endured rehabilitation after suffering a grade two medial collateral ligament tear earlier this year, requiring several rounds of treatment.
“I didn’t view the injury as a setback, but something to learn from and overcome,” he said, as reported by Bernama.
The win also delivered Malaysia’s eighth gold medal of the Glasgow 2026 campaign. With the Commonwealth Games title secured, Amir Daniel now sets his sights on qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
