Nooriman (left) and Farraz Haidar Akbar (two from the left) after the 2019 Melaka Open tennis match

ITS Campus, ITS News – Studying at engineering campus is not a barrier for students of Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) to shine in the sports field. This was evidenced by the student of Civil Infrastructure Engineering Department, Farraz Haidar Akbar, who won 1st place in the Men’s Tennis Doubles in the 2019 international Melaka Open in Malaysia, 16-17 February 2019.

Students who also won the 2nd place in the men’s singles at Hang Tuah Jaya Comparative Majlis (MPHTJ) – Malacca Lawn Tennis Association (MLTA), at the end of 2018, now triumphed in the double class paired with Nooriman who was an ITS 2001 Mechanical Engineering alumni. “Alhamdulillah, I get a partner (Nooriman, editor) who is also a former player of East Java PON,” Farraz said.

Facing players from Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, Farraz continues to practice his abilities regularly. In addition, competing in this tennis sport is a dream that he has been fighting for since childhood. Born as an only child, his strong determination was because of both parents that supported him. “Of course I don’t forget to pray to Allah SWT,” he said.

Unlike the previous match, Farraz felt more challenged when playing in the double class. Because he must be able to encourage his partner and keep their teamwork. “This match also taught me to stay consistent, enjoy the process, and the most important thing is to have big dreams,” said the 2015 class student.

This man from Surabaya claimed to have encountered obstacles when managing his training time. Because his thesis used the concept of plastic asphalt made Farraz not to stop visiting the laboratory. In addition, he must be able to control his nervous feeling when competing. “Moreover, I have to deal with Alamat and Zulfahmi pairing from Malaysia who has won the Melaka Open three times,” Farraz added.

With this achievement, Farraz claimed to be very proud and happy because he could make Indonesia proud on the world stage. He hopes it could motivate ITS students who have talent outside of academics. For him, even though the college routines are so crowded, talent outside of academics must be sharpened. “Of course, you have to create good time management,” he said.

Going forward, Farraz will try to complete his studies at the D4 level and prepare for the next tennis tournament. “I’m holding on to live life like I will die tomorrow, and always learn like I’m going to live forever,” he smiles. (hen / Anjani / ITS Public Relation Officer)

Farraz Haidar Akbar and Nooriman after the championship trophy was handed over