The figure of Derlin Julianto, a taekwondo athlete of the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM). (Photo: Istimewa) |
Derlin Julianto, a taekwondo athlete of the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), successfully earned a gold medal in an international championship, specifically in the Asia Invitational Taekwon-Do Championship held at SRJK Shang Wu, Penang, Malaysia, on June 3-4, 2023. At least the event consisted of more than 850 participants from 10 countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapura, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, India, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Brunei.
The athlete known as Dhein said he could defeat his opponents with a solid determination, especially with approximate-5-year training leading him to win the international championship.
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"I actually intend to train and test my mentality and to know the sensation of participating in an international taekwondo championship. Thus, the preparation is not just one or two months, but for years so that it can be more well-prepared. Coincidentally, I have pursued taekwondo since 2018," said the athlete.
The Diploma-III student of Electrical Engineering from the UMM Vocational Program said he received a direct invitation from the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) Malaysia through ITF Indonesia to participate in the championship event. On the other hand, he appreciated the White Campus UMM, which supports him in finance and facilities to compete in the prestigious championship.
The student from North Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi, also shared his experience of serving as a taekwondo athlete. Everything began in 2018 when he started pursuing his taekwondo career. Dhein admitted that he had no basics in martial arts, making him start to learn from zero. However, his effort, proven by his achievement in the international; martial arts competition, had finally paid off thanks to his tenacity and consistency during training.
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Dhani, in fact, participates in not only taekwondo competitions but also relevant martial arts, like kickboxing, both at the city and national levels. Despite the difference, the sensation of the competition (still) makes him zestful.
Lastly, he advises all martial arts athletes, especially at UMM, to dare to participate in friendly matches because it will train and improve skills and the mentality of competing in the arena. "The more you compete, the more you spar with others, the better is mentally. It is useless to have good technique but still mentally flabby, and so is to be confident but the technique is inadequate. Both must balance," he concluded. (faq/wil)