Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine July 2019 | Page 67

Lifestyle / Interview
Lalu Muhammad Zohri
Southeast Asia’s
Fastest Man
Interview by Yani Lauwoie
he was training for his next big
competition, the Asian Grand Prix 2019
in Chongqing, China, in June. Despite
the fact that he had just finished
training while fasting for Ramadan,
Zohri was bubbling over with
enthusiasm following his
achievement in Japan.
“I thank the Indonesian people who
have supported me and the Indonesian
Athletics Federation that sent me there.
I am so grateful I can give my best
for Indonesia,” he said.
Zohri also told of his experience
competing against the American sprinter
Justin Gatlin, who won gold in the 100m
at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
“I was very pleased I could be on
the same track with Justin Gatlin,
whom I admire greatly. I actually
asked him for a photo together,” says
Zohri (the American won gold ahead
of the Indonesian’s bronze in Osaka).
Zohri says he doesn’t feel intimidated
on the track, despite lining up against
the world’s top runners. “I never feel
afraid with my competitors. When
I am on the track, I just want to give
my best possible effort,” he says.
“I always challenge myself to be better.
I aim to be faster than my last race.”
The recent graduate of Jakarta’s
Ragunan Public High School is
determined to become the first sprinter
in Southeast Asia to break the record
of under 10 seconds for the 100m.
To achieve it, he realises there are
things that he needs to improve upon.
“One of them is my starting block
technique,” he admits. “But I am
working on it.”
Diligent at training, Zohri pays close
attention to the instructions of his
coaches, including Eni Nuraini – recently
recognised as Asia’s Best Athletics Coach
by the Asian Athletics Association – who
has been coaching the teenage sprinter
for the past 18 months. “Zohri has
natural talent; he is also easy to work
with because he is disciplined and
intelligent,” says Eni.
Aside from his recent achievements
in Doha and Osaka, Zohri has won gold
medals for the 100m at the 2018 World
U20 Championships, the 2018 Asian
Junior Athletics Championships and
the 2019 Malaysia Open Grand Prix,
along with silver for the 4 × 100m
relay at the 2018 Asian Games.
Despite being extremely grateful
for his international achievements,
Zohri reveals that competing overseas
is quite challenging from a cultural
perspective. “It is difficult for me
to adapt to foreign food. I love rice
and sambal – Indonesian chilli
paste,” he says with a smile.
In addition to his international
travel, the star sprinter flies regularly
with Garuda Indonesia from his base
in Jakarta to his home town in North
Lombok, where his older brother
and sister live. “I love the in-flight
meals,” adds Zohri, as we finish
our meeting.
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