Gutsy Balang logs new life as paralympian
SIBU: When he was young, Balang Basar 48, had no clue that he would one day be a famous sportsman, much less representing Malaysia.
“Like any kid in my time, all I wanted was to work and have a decent income, get married and start a family and stay in my village.But as fate would have it, my destiny was not to be staying in my village like any regular kids from this place,” he told this writer at his home village, in Trusan, Lawas, recently.
Balang, a Lunbawang lad and now semi-paralysed, represented Malaysia in paralympic sports in the 2000, 2002 and 2004 Asean Games as a weightlifter.
He now lives in Miri and was met at his parents’ home at Trusan during Christmas.
“I got into weightlifting after someone suggested that I should seriously consider training to be a weightlifter, while I was doing some exercises lifting a few hundred kilogrammes,” he began, adding that he was then staying at a Government home for the disabled.
With the encouragement Balang continued to pick up the weighty equipment not only to exercise, but to build his upper body and physical strength.
“Due to my condition, weightlifting was one that could give the kind of exercise that I needed, while building my self esteem.I thought that I could do things that I never thought I could do, if I had a normal body.At the same time with the encouragement of friends and recommendation from them, I was introduced to a gym, where I was spotted by a coach,” he said, adding that the rest was history.
H e s a i d that whi l e at the gym, B a l a n g , who i s n o w married to a teacher, was able to increase the kilos to his lifting ability.
“It was in 1999 when I was included in the Sarawak Paralymic competition, representing Miri, and won the gold medal,” he said.
Later that year, he was among the group of paralympic athletes sent to Kuala Lumpur for a national game and won a gold medal in his category.
At the same time, he also had the passion to compete in wheelchair racing.Balang said he had the opportunity to prove his prowess in an Asean competiton in 2001, where he competed in the 100m, 200m and 400m races.
“In all the three events, I managed to get second place and won silver medals for the three events,” he enthused, adding that it was not an easy effort since he had a short training.
However his love for weight lifting remained.And in 2006 he was also called to compete in a national level paralympic games.This time he got a silver medal.The latest event he participated in was in 2008, where he got a silver medal.
How did he get into this situation?
Balang recollected that he was hired to work in a timber company in the upper region of Trusan River in 1981 right after he finished school years before.He enjoyed a considerably good life, bringing home thousands of ringgit while working as a lumberjack.
“It was a good life despite the heavy and very tiring physical work.But at the sam time it was very dangerous as one was exposed to the danger of falling trees as we cut down the trees for the lumber company we worked for.
“But we had no other choice as that was the only work we knew and did best.We were used to the danger of falling trees and we knew how to avoid them as we were taught to cut the trees at the right angle,” he explained.
And about three years later, in 1983, when he was twenty years old, he suffered the mishap.
Like any other day, he had just felled a tree but it did not fall all the way down to the ground.It was caught in a maze of smaller trees.
“It was at that moment that I felt had to do something about it and decided to cut the smaller tree on which the tree we had cut was caught hanging,” he said.
That seemingly small and routine decision was about to change the course of his life.
“It was normal for us to go and cut the other smaller trees which hadprevented us from getting the log we had targeted.I then began to use my parang to cut the tree,” Balang recalled.
In a split second the tree cataputed due to the weight of the bigger one and hit him across the waist.He fell yards away as his colleague watched in horror.
“It happened so fast and moments later I passed out as I fell to the ground with unbearable pain in my back and abdomen,” said.That was the last time he remembered being in the jungle.
He went into a coma and when he woke up days later, he found himself in the Miri Hospital.
Nowadays, Balang has taught himself other skills such as repairing electronic items such television sets, computers and radios.He said he wanted to be independent, not having to depend on anyone for help.
For in his words he said: “After all I have my own family to support.”
postdateiconMonday, 14 February 2011 11:33 -nST
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