Selangor Journal
31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) logo. — Picture via FACEBOOK

SEA Games: Malaysia add four gold on 10th day, remain in sixth place

HANOI, May 18 — Athletics, mountain biking and snooker contributed four gold medals to the Malaysian contingent on the 10th day of the 31st SEA Games here yesterday.

However, the haul failed to help Malaysia go up in the medal tally chart as they remained in sixth place with 23 gold, 26 silver and 55 bronze.

The national athletics squad chipped in with two gold medals through men’s discus ace Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin and triple-jumper Andre Anura Anuar, while Norliyana Kamaruddin earned the bronze in the heptathlon event.

After picking up a silver and a bronze yesterday, the mountain cycling squad continued their excellent form as they made history by winning the country’s first gold medal in the cross-country relay mixed team event, yesterday.

The team comprising Ahmad Syazrin Awang Ilah, Zulfikri Zulkifli, Nur Assyira Zainal Abidin and Natahsya Soon one-upped Malaysia’s previous best performance in the event, which was a silver in the 2011 edition.

Snooker athlete Lim Kok Leong also ensured that the SEA Games gold medal in the men’s 6-Red singles event remained with Malaysia as the event was re-contested at the competition after nine years.

The 27-year-old defeated Jefrey Roda of the Philippines 5-3 in the final to win his first individual gold medal at the biennial games.

At the My Dinh Aquatic Centre, the swimming squad wrapped up their campaign yesterday with a silver and a bronze, as well as breaking a national record in the final.

Welson Sim, Lim Yin Chuen, Arvin Shaun Singh Chahal and Khiew Hoe Yean won the silver in the men’s 4×200 meter (m) freestyle event with a time of seven minutes and 19.75 second (s), setting the new national record.

The bronze medal came from Job Tan in the men’s 200m breaststroke.

Meanwhile, the men’s sepak takraw squad failed to beat world champions Thailand as they settled for silver in the inter-regu event while the national women’s team got the bronze medal.

Siblings Syed Afiq Fakhri Syed Ali and Sharifah Afiqah Farzana also settled for bronze in their debut in the Petanque mixed doubles event.

The four gold, two silver and four bronze earned yesterday saw Malaysia remain in sixth place, with hosts Vietnam still leading with 101 gold, 65 silver and 64 bronze.

Thailand is in second place after collecting 43 gold, 45 silver and 63 bronze, followed by the Philippines (34-39-51), Singapore (30-32-36) and Indonesia in fifth with 27-40-38.

Several events will be the focus of the Malaysian camp on day 11 today, with the male and female golfers to take on Thailand in their respective team events.

The men’s badminton team will also face Thailand in the final of the team event, while the archery event will see Khairul Anuar Mohamad-Syaqiera Mashayikh face Indonesia’s Reza Octavia-Riau Ega Agatha Salsabila in the recurve mixed team event.

The track and field events will also continue today with Nauraj Singh Randhawa expected to defend the men’s high jump gold while Muhammad Azeem Fahmi and Muhammad Arsyad Md Saat will take on the challenge in the men’s 100m event.

— Bernama

 

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