22 year-old Ali Alfraih of Syria holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Cloud Computing Technology from Limkokwing University and is currently studying for an MBA in Project Management.
In person, he is the complete opposite of the stereotypical, bespectacled techie that some would associate with his chosen field of study.
Ali is in fact a world-class arm wrestler.
My Inspiration
“Ever since I was young, I loved this sport and watched movies like Rocky that had a strong message, especially how to rise from bottom to top,” said Ali during an interview at Fitofly gym at the Cyberjaya campus.
He said his dream became a reality when he first joined Limkokwing in 2013, where he was given the privilege to utilise the gym as a training ground and met a lot of people that supported his passion.
“I would like to thank Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Paduka Dr. Limkokwing for allowing me full access to the gym,” he said.
Ali is a member of the World Armwrestling Federation (WAF), and he represented Limkokwing University in Hong Kong during the first ever Arnold Classic Asia in 2016.
Competition was fierce but Ali managed to come out fifth, and he was more than happy to have participated in the event, wearing Limkokwing colours.
Life as a Coach
Being the current coach of the Limkokwing Arm Wrestling Team, Ali boldly said there are certain members in the team that have great potential.
“We are currently preparing to produce new champions as we have plans of organising Inter-University Championships in Malaysia,” said a confident looking Ali.
On how he prepares for competitions, Ali said maintaining good health and keeping a balanced diet is the key to great competitive form.
“To those interested in this sport, safety is very important and its good to train hard, but learn to play simple,” said Ali.
Life at Limkokwing
“Studying at Limkokwing and participating in competitions here in Malaysia has definitely improved me as an individual, simply because I get exposed to a lot of learning styles from different people from different parts of the world,” said Ali.
“After my studies here, I plan to introduce arm wrestling to the government back in my country as it is not an official sport there yet,” said Ali.
He also plans to pursue his PhD studies at Limkokwing University in the near future.