THREE-TIME Olympian Mirnawan Nawawi shed blood, sweat and tears as skipper of the national hockey team.
And, when this interview was being held (last week), he was literally again giving blood for the nation — this time during a “blood donation” drive.
“I have tears on my limbs, tears and broken teeth to show over the years of representing the country in hockey... but all of these have turned into sweet memories today,” said Mirnawan.
Starting with the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, he went on to play in the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Games. Mirnawan’s last show was at the 2002 Kuala Lumpur World Cup, where he broke a few of his front teeth.
“Arriving at the Olympics as an athlete is the grandest feeling one can ever achieve and the memories will never go away,” said Mirnawan, who had played in three Asian Games, one Champions Trophy and two World Cups.
“My best memory was being the flag bearer in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where I led the Malaysian contingent into the Olympic Stadium. I still get goosebumps just thinking about that.”
If one wishes to be a top Olympian, the Malacca-born athlete’s advice is to be sincere to oneself and not cheat on training.
“The most important factor to qualify an entry into the Olympics and World Cup is to be truthful in training. Don’t cheat the coaches by doing one less push-up, or one less lap around the stadium when they are not looking.
“Run and train harder than the other athletes, and even when one is on break from national camp, keep the training momentum going and don’t cheat. Because, in the end, all the cheating and slacking will take you nowhere near the Olympic Stadium.”
Now a TV sports commentator, Mirnawan remembers how running the extra mile had made him among the most feared forwards in the world.
“All the extra training on my own made me nimble and light-footed, and I could almost ‘fly’ with the ball. Chase the dream until you land it on your lap.”
Mirnawan is still active as manager of the National Juniors as well as with the Universiti Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club. His next mission is to see Malaysia qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.