Kuala lumpur: For Eljoe Gotuoh, stepping onto the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games stage will be a 'priceless' moment as he gets to share the spotlight with his senior, world record holder Datuk Abdul Latif Romly. The 22-year-old Sabah-born athlete described the opportunity to compete alongside Abdul Latif for the first time overseas in the long jump T20 (intellectual impairment) event as the biggest moment in his career so far, providing him with renewed motivation to challenge the world's elite athletes.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, for Eljoe, Abdul Latif's presence is not merely that of a teammate, but the world champion's aura of success has become a source of inspiration for him to continue progressing in his para-athletics career. "I feel more spirited because there is someone more senior than me going to compete, and I can use that as motivation. My hope is that I can follow Abdul Latif's footsteps and compete in more major Games in the future," he told Bernama today.
Although regarded as a newcomer in the national squad, the Tuaran-born athlete has never hesitated to seek technical advice from his senior to further improve his jumping technique. "I also ask about things like running technique and other techniques. Actually, it is mainly about the jumping technique because we compete in the same event, so that is usually what I ask about. Abdul Latif often helps me with the take-off, landing technique and also the run-up," he said.
On his current form, Eljoe, who joined the training camp at the National Sports Council (NSC) 17 months ago, said his personal best is 7.17 metres (m), which he achieved in Perak last year. In Glasgow, Eljoe has set his sights on improving on his personal best to prove his true ability on the international stage.
"I'm targeting seven metres and above and I hope to set a new personal best at the Commonwealth Games. As for my competitors, I am not really sure because I have never competed at a high level before," said Eljoe, who previously gained experience competing in championships in Australia and Dubai.
Abdul Latif currently holds the long jump T20 world record, having cleared 7.67m at the World Championships in New Delhi, India, last year. The Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 will be held from July 23 till August 2.