KUALA LUMPUR: Four Olympic appearances have given Khairulnizam Afendy plenty of experience at the highest level, but the national sailor now wants to use that knowledge to help develop the next generation.
The 33-year-old, who competed at the 2012 London, 2016 Rio, 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics, will captain Malaysian Monsoon at the SSL Gold Cup in Rio de Janeiro.
Khairulnizam also won Asian Games silver medals at the 2014 Incheon and 2018 Jakarta-Palembang editions before claiming bronze at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
He said his motivation had evolved beyond personal achievements, with the SSL Gold Cup providing an opportunity to give back to Malaysian sailing.
“After representing Malaysia at four Olympic Games, my motivation is no longer just about personal achievements. I want to give something back to Malaysian sailing by sharing my experience and helping develop the next generation,” he said.
The SSL Gold Cup presents a different challenge from his individual ILCA 7 campaign, where he is responsible for making decisions on the water.
“In ILCA 7, I depend on myself and make all the decisions on the water. In the SSL Gold Cup, success depends on every crew member doing their job.
“As captain, my role is to bring everyone together, build trust and maintain good communication. We need to understand each other’s strengths and work as one team,” he said.
Malaysia will be looking to improve on their 2023 campaign in Gran Canaria, where Malaysian Monsoon finished top ten overall.
Khairulnizam believes the previous campaign provided valuable experience and a better understanding of the competition, although he acknowledged that the challenge in Rio would be demanding.
“Our previous campaign gave us valuable experience and showed that Malaysia can challenge some of the strongest sailing nations. We understand the level of competition much better now.
“Of course, it will not be easy, but we are coming to Rio with confidence and a strong fighting spirit. Our target is to go beyond the quarter-finals and see how far we can take Malaysian Monsoon,” he said.
A podium finish would be a historic achievement for Malaysian sailing, and Khairulnizam believes a team success would carry a special meaning after his individual accomplishments at the Olympics.
“Reaching the podium would be a historic moment for Malaysian sailing and prove that we can compete with the best in the world. Most importantly, I want to inspire the younger generation to dream bigger and believe that Malaysian sailors can achieve great things on the international stage,” he said.
The 2026 SSL Gold Cup, featuring 66 nations competing on identical SSL47 yachts, takes place in Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, from Nov 19 to Dec 13.
Khairulnizam also thanked the team’s sponsors, stakeholders and the Raja Muda Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, for their continued support in making the trip possible.