BROTHERLY LOVE OR SIBLING RIVALRY – ANUAR IDHAM PAWI
Every TWO-WHEELS racer begins each season of their tournament with the objectives of earning points, standing on the podium, and winning the race. Still, for these two brother-riders, Khairul Idham Pawi and Anuar Idham Pawi there will be one other accolade they will be chasing in 2023… Familial bragging rights. Just Kidding!
Despite the joke, these brothers have the unenviable task of not only battling the rest of the field for honors this season but will also face the challenge of balancing sibling rivalries and brotherly love when they meet each other on the track.
Khairul fondly known as, SuperKIP, is no stranger to the motorsport scenes. He made waves till the world championships in Moto3 and Moto2 categories back in 2016 and is still active in a number of highly intense races. While the younger brother, Anuar Idham Pawi, making a comeback after 5 years!
Anuar made his debut at the year of 2014, in Malaysia’s prestigious national tournament, the Malaysian PETRONAS Cub Prix when he was just 14. The young lad managed to clinch numerous podiums in three different categories until 2018 before he decided to take a break due to personal reasons.
The 23-year-old said it was natural for him to fall in love with the sport as his brother was known for racking up wins on the race track.
“My older brother inspired me; he was racing since I was small. He’s always been there to help and guide me. From a small age, I’ve always been around bikes. I would be in the garage and track a lot with him, I grew up at the race track around him. So, it was natural for me to start racing.”
“Due to personal reasons I had to take a break but this time I came back for good. The main reason would be my brother. He pushed me forward to make a comeback and I would admit it’s a dream to ride alongside my brother, even though, we gonna be rivals on the track. When he asked me, I couldn’t say no!”
“This will be my debut in MSBK and also in the 600cc category. This is something huge, but I believe this going to be a great learning curve after a long break. If I am lucky enough to touch the finishing line with a win on my hand, I hope Khairul is there to share the podium too. That will be a dream come true,” he said.
Brothers sharing the podium stage, That’s a memory to cherish forever!
The first brothers to do this at the top level were Juan Carlos Salatino and Eduardo Salatino at the Argentine 500cc Grand Prix in 1962, with the siblings finishing second and third behind winner Benedicto Caldarella.
The only other time this feat has been achieved was at the City of Imola Grand Prix in 1997, when Nobuatsu Aoki and Takuma Aoki again finished second and third, this time behind Mick Doohan as the Australian cruised to the fourth of his five world titles.
Perhaps the most recognisable in the present day are the Marquez brothers.
So, what about the Pawi brothers? Would they be able to achieve this dream in this season that will be commencing this 18th ?
“If you ask me if it’s brotherly love or sibling rivalry, I would go for brotherly love! Khairul has never fail to look out for me and I always look up to him as a role model. I’m so exicted to race in the same category with my brother. I have a good feeling about this.”
“I have no high expectations for this season. I want to finish every race fully and collect points as much as I can. If there’s a podium finish, Alhamdulilah.. If no, I would have learned something from that round. There’s no failure in race, either you win or you learn. That’s what my father always reminds both of us,” he said.
With motorsport known for being an emotionally heated sport, their father Pawi Omar tries to provide a support structure for his boys as they aim to reach the highs of the sport.
“They have chosen a sport that has extreme highs.”
“You can win a race or a championship and then there is the total opposite, you can fight hard and crash or lose the championship by one point. You have to be there for them, it’s an emotionally draining sport. It’s important that I provide that support structure,” he said.
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