KUALA LUMPUR – National sprint champions, Muhammad Haiqal Hanafi and Khairul Hafiz Jantan, both suffered personal setbacks after failing to qualify for this year’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Haiqal’s victory in the men’s 100m event at the 97th Malaysian Open Athletics Championship in Bukit Jalil, here today was not enough for him to qualify for the biennial games scheduled to take place from May 12 to 23.
The 2019 Philippines SEA Games 100m gold medallist ran on a wet track and crossed the finish line with a time of 10.58s, six seconds later than the qualification time of 10.52s.
The 23-year-old sprinter from Negri Sembilan remained positive and claimed to be not disappointed with his failure today as he had already experienced winning the gold medal previously.
He also did not expect assistance from the Malaysian Athletics Federation in sending him to compete in the blue ribbon event in Vietnam under Category B (costs refunded upon medal win) but was prepared to be called up to join the 4x100m men’s team.
“If the federation wants to send me (for the 100m event), I will focus on it, but if not, I will focus on other championships,” he told reporters.
Haiqal was still satisfied with his run today as he achieved his target of running within 10.4s and 10.59s for this championship.
The 100m silver was picked up by Johor sprinter Muhammad Arsyad Md Saat who clocked 10.63s while Jonathan Nyepa from the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) won the bronze with a time of 10.64s.
Meanwhile, 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games winner, Khairul Hafiz from Melaka, also failed to qualify for Hanoi after finishing fifth with a time of 10.74s.
Besides Arsyad, two other 100m sprinters, Russel Alexander Nasir Taib and Muhammad Zulfiqar Ismail have qualified for the Hanoi SEA Games for Category A (costs fully covered). – Bernama, March 6, 2022
