Sports & Fitness

SEA Games: unsatisfied Umar aims to break 400m record again

National athlete clocks 46.34s in Cambodia erasing 22-year-old fastest time of 46.41s

Updated 3 years ago · Published on 18 May 2023 5:10PM

SEA Games: unsatisfied Umar aims to break 400m record again — National athlete Umar Osman clocks 46.34s at men’s 400m in the SEA Games, beating the almost 22-year-old mark of 46.41s set by Mohd Zaiful Zainal Abidin at the Asian Junior Championships in Brunei in July 2001. – Bernama pic, May 18, 2023

JOHOR BARU – National athlete Umar Osman is still not satisfied despite springing a surprise at the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games and is determined to break the national men’s 400m record again.

Umar clocked 46.34s at the biennial Games to erase the almost 22-year-old mark of 46.41s set by Mohd Zaiful Zainal Abidin at the Asian Junior Championships in Brunei in July 2001.

The 20-year-old said that making his debut in the biennial Games as an underdog drove him to make a name for himself and made him even more determined to bring home the gold medal for the country.

“Of course, I was shocked that I broke the record, but because I came into the Games as an underdog, it felt very magical and miraculous.

“It felt satisfying, but I cannot become complacent and I am targeting the gold again as well as setting a new record. For me, records are made to be broken, so I intend to do it again and remain consistent,” he said when met at the Ibrahim Sultan Polytechnic (PIS) 25 Years of Excellence Programme and Aidilfitri celebration, here, today.

Umar, who also bagged a bronze in the men’s 4x100m event at the Cambodia SEA Games, said his next assignment will be in September when he competes in the 2023 World University Games and Asian Games.

“Training (for these two Games) has not been drawn up in detail yet, but I am ready and am already training at the PIS field and, on weekends, I train at EduCity and Mount Austin as well as in Singapore,” he said.

He also expressed his gratitude to his coach of two years, Simon Lau Ching Meng, and former Olympian Nordin Mohamed Jadi for always encouraging him.

“Nordin often inspires and motivates me. Although he never trained me, the faith he has in me and the guidance from my coach is enough to help me move forward,” he said.

In Cambodia, the Johor Baru-born Umar clinched the 400m gold medal by finishing ahead of Filipinos Umajesty Wesley Lachicha Williams (46.52s) and Frederick Cabatu Ramirez (46.63s). – Bernama, May 18, 2023