“In the past, I had no confidence in myself because I feel different from the others, especially when people look at me in a strange manner,” said the 25-year-old Muhammad Diroy Bin Noordin.

 

 

Standing at 1.29-metre tall, Diroy was diagnosed with Dwarfism since birth and yet, was able to attend school like everyone. He graduated Temasek Polytechnic with a Diploma in Visual Communications and is currently working as a freelance Graphic Designer. 

 

 

Diroy had always believed in being humble and that learning never stops, “I stand back up on my feet each time I fall and when there are opportunities for me to learn, I would definitely grab it tightly,” Diroy shared.

 

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BEFORE THE ATHLETIC LIFE

 

 

Before he was introduced to Javelin and Shot Put, he would be playing weekly casual football with his friends from the Singapore cerebral palsy team. 

 

 

Everyone in the team had cerebral palsy except Diroy and he realized that he should experiment on sports that better catered to his skills and physical attributes. 

 

 

In 2009, Diroy decided to take up Javelin and Shot Put with the advice of the Singapore Disability Sports Council’s (SDSC) sports manager. The sports manager told Diroy that even if he stayed in the football team, he wouldn’t be able to compete in competitions when the rest of the team goes for competition because of his different type of disability.

 

 

He was then eventually being introduced to the special category F40 that comprises Javelin and Shot Put. With the change in sports, everything was new to him and he struggled on getting himself familiarized with the new environment and technical skill sets. 

 

 

Diroy mentioned: “When I first encounter with Javelin and Shot Put, it felt so unfamiliar to me but as I practice along, I slowly become more familiarized and better at it.” 

 

HIS ATHLETIC LIFE

 

 

With his trainings being scheduled 3 times per week at the Kallang Practice Track, Diroy’s determination towards achieving his dreams is crystal clear. Till now, Diroy has taken part in five international competitions, specifically the recent ASEAN Para Games, Beijing World Para Athletics Grand Prix last year and 4th China Open Athletics Championships in 2016. 

 

 

At the 2016 4th China Open Athletics Championships, Diroy obtained Gold for his outstanding results in both Javelin and Shot Put. 
 

 

In 2016, Diroy was announced to be the 13th athlete to represent Singapore in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games where he competed in the sports of Javelin and Shot Put. Diroy managed to finish in 9th place with 7.29m in Shot Put and 11th place with 8.06m for Javelin.

 

 

It has always been a dream for Diroy to take part in the Rio Paralympics, “It’s one of the biggest Paralympics in the world and I get to represent my country at this huge event,” said Diroy.

 

 

In addition, he achieved his personal best distance of 8.06m for Shot Put and placed 1st for Javelin, with a score of 26.68m in the 2017 Beijing World Para Athletics Grand Prix.

 

 

Being able to take part in the international competitions doesn’t only make Diroy feel proud of the country, to him, it’s more than just representing Singapore. 

 

 

“It’s not about just donning the country’s colours but to me, it’s about a golden opportunity where I can meet people from different countries to learn from them.”

 

 

Mr Jaffa, a 43-year-old coach in Disability Sports under the category of Track and Field, also added as the coach of Diroy: “I’ve been coaching since 2003 and the spirit in Diroy is exemplary.”

 

 

Mr Jaffa also mentioned that although Diroy has Dwarfism, his strong will to excel in what he dreams for has never stopped since the day he put his feet on the tracks. 

 

 

THE SINGAPORE SPORTS CULTURE

 

 

When asked what Singapore Sports Culture meant to Diroy, he shared that it meant more than just representing the country. “It all starts from within you, before you can land your feet outside of Singapore,” said Diroy. 

 

 

Diroy’s definition of Singapore Sports Culture is about discipline, gratitude and sportsmanship – more importantly, when one inspires a person and that person manages to inspire more people. 

 

Mr Jaffa shared: “Para Athletics in Singapore is still rather new and not as well recognized as the standard categories, Diroy still has plenty rooms of learning in terms of technical skills.”

 

 

When Diroy competes with the other competitors internationally, it never fails to inspire him to train even harder, as he realizes that the competitors are like him. 

 

 

With the number of opportunities taken, there would also be times where Diroy fails to achieve what he wanted. However, it never did stop his passion towards competing for Singapore. 

 

 

“Failure is not the end of the world because everyone fails, even Diroy failed so many times and it’s not about how you fall, but it’s about how you stand back up to be better!” exclaimed Mr Jaffa. 

 

 

More opportunities are being introduced to people with disabilities, giving them more chances to take part in international Para Athletics competitions. Diroy’s journey has just begun and he would be practicing extremely hard for a chance to compete in the upcoming ASEAN Para Games 2018. 

 

 

Diroy added: “Para Athletics in Singapore has given me more opportunities to learn from the better competitors and each time I represent Singapore, I promise to give it my best shot.”