KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian squad’s achievement at the 82nd Singapore Track and Field Championship last week cannot be used as a yardstick for their performance in the Hanoi SEA Games next month, said chief coach Mohd Manshahar Abdul Jalil.
Although pleased with their performance, Mohd Manshahar reminded them not to get carried away by their success as it was achieved in the absence of regional athletics powers Thailand and Vietnam.
“We can’t be assured of success by merely basing our assessment on the recent championship in Singapore.
“Not many countries took part in Singapore. Apart from Malaysia who sent 14 athletes, the meet also attracted athletes from the Philippines and Indonesia,” he told Bernama when contacted today.
Malaysia won eight gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the championship.
However, Mohd Manshahar said the Singapore meet showed that discus throwers Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin and Queenie Ting Kung Ni and long jumper Andre Anura Anuar were on the right track for glory at the biennial games in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Muhammad Irfan won the men’s discus gold with a throw of 59.15m, leaving the Philippines’ John Albert Mantua (49.57m) in second place and Eric Yee Chun Wai of the National University of Singapore in third place (47.67m).
Queenie grabbed the women’s discus gold with a throw of 46.27m, ahead of teammate Choo Kang Ni (44.11m) who took silver and Melissa Yee Wai Teng of Singapore Institute of Technology (33.82m) in third place.
Andre showed his superiority with a leap of 7.60m, beating Janry Ubas of the Philippines (7.52m) and Tedd Toh of Wings Athletics Club (6.93m) into second and third places respectively.
With the SEA Games just about three weeks away, Mohd Manshahar hoped the athletes would maintain their momentum and keep themselves free from injury.
The 31st SEA Games will be held in Hanoi from May 12 to 23. – Bernama, April 18, 2022
