KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — Men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and bodybuilder Datuk Mohd Syarul Azman Mahen Abdullah are top picks for Best Athlete Award by the Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM)-100PLUS Awards 2022 ceremony tomorrow night.
Aaron-Wooi Yik made history when they became Malaysia’s first world champions after defeating Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan in the World Badminton Championships last year, which also saw them scoop the 2022 Sportsman of the Year award.
Syarul, better known as Mike Mahen, clinched his fifth World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships title in Phuket in December in the over-167cm athletic physique category, and is hoping to emulate Sazali Samad — the last bodybuilder to have won the top SAM award in 2013.
After winning his first title in 2016, the 50-year-old Syarul repeated the triumph in 2017, 2018 and 2019. He missed out on the title in 2021 as the championship was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
But Aaron-Wooi Yik and Mike Mahen can expect a tough fight from World Amateur Snooker Championship winner Lim Kok Leong, Birmingham Commonwealth Games men’s 55kg weightlifting gold medallist Muhammad Aniq Kasdan, and two-time gold medallist and 2022 Sportswoman of the Year Ng Joe Ee.
Shuttler Cheah Liek Hou and powerlifter Bonnie Bunyau Gustin are the frontrunners for the Best Para Athlete 2022 award, with Nani Shahiera Zawawi (athletics) and swimmers Brenda Anellia Larry and Carmen Lim also shortlisted.
Liek Hou remained unbeaten en route to claiming the world para badminton title for the seventh time last season and emerged triumphant in the World Para Badminton Championships in November.
And 24-year-old Bonnie broke the Commonwealth Games record with a 220kg lift to clinch gold in Birmingham.
SAM in a statement yesterday said the Best Athlete and Best Para Athlete will each receive a cash prize of RM10,000 and a trophy at the ceremony tomorrow, which will be attended by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
The SAM-100PLUS 2022 Awards will also honour sports journalists with six categories — Best News Report (Print Media), Best News Report (Electronic Media), Best News Commentary (Print Media), Best News Commentary (Electronic Media), Best Special Report (Open) and Best Sports Photography.
SAM introduced the Most Popular Sports Commentator award this year, with the winner to be decided based on the most votes cast online from August 22 to 27.
The overall best winner for the sports journalism category will be crowned recipient of the Siebel Award with a cash prize of RM7,000 and a trophy.
— Bernama
