SEPANG – The father of FIM MiniGP World Champion Qabil Irfan Azlan has pleaded with the public to refrain from excessive praise for his son’s outstanding achievement so that he stays grounded.
Azlan Abdul Rahman said his son’s victory was for all Malaysians, as he received many messages from the public praying for his son to win.
He expressed gratitude for the support but asked that everyone temper their excitement about his son’s potential.
“Please don’t overly praise my son, I don’t want him to get lost in the headlights.
“Too much praise can be dangerous for a young racer like him.
“We have to keep his performance up and I will do my best to guide him,” said the 47-year-old upon his return from Spain at Kuala Lumpur International Airport here today.
Azlan took the opportunity to thank ZK Racing team boss Zulfahmi Khairuddin for giving Qabil the opportunity to compete on the global stage.
“Without Zulfahmi and his team, we would not be able to achieve this historic win.
“Without the FIM MiniGP programme, we would not make it to Valencia and become world champion, this is all because of the support from ZK Racing and Sepang International Circuit,” he added.
The father of three expressed gratitude to the Terengganu government for financial assistance, highlighting their contributions in purchasing a bike for Qabil’s training, covering entrance fees, and easing the family’s financial burden.
“All we had to pay for was our travel costs to Spain,” Azlan shared.
Qabil made history after winning all three races in Valencia, Spain, on Tuesday to be crowned world champion, collecting a maximum of 100 points in the process.
The youngster said he did not expect the victory, as he had struggled earlier in the week but managed to put everything together to qualify for first place.
He revealed that his mother called him before the first race to wish him good luck and that was the catalyst for his good performance.
“Thank you to all who wished me well. Thank you also to ZK Racing for preparing my bike.
“When I got my bike in Spain, I struggled with it a bit, and we needed to make adjustments from Free Practice 1 and 2.
“My mother called me before the race and wished me well. My father, who was with me in Valencia, said just think about staying in front of everyone, and you will do well.
“I was not scared to race with the other riders. I just pretended like it was at practice and stayed calm,” shared the 11-year-old. – November 28, 2023