M'sian squash girls reach final, on track for gold at Hangzhou Asiad

HANGZHOU -- After two consecutive days of golden harvest, the Malaysian contingent experienced a lull yesterday as they could only add a silver and three bronzes to their medal collection on the sixth day of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.

Hopes of the sepak takraw team coming good in the men's team regu event came to nought when they lost to Thailand in the final at the Jinhua Gymnasium Sports Centre, about 170 kilometres (km) from here.

The result sees Thailand continue their domination by bagging the gold for the seventh consecutive time since the 1998 edition in Bangkok while Malaysia played the bridesmaid’s role once again to settle for the silver, which they also won in the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang edition.

But fret not as the national sepak takraw team still have a chance to bring home one gold medal when they compete in the men's inter-regu event on Thursday (Oct 5).

Meanwhile, national gymnast Muhammad Sharul Aimy Kamaru Hisam made Malaysia proud at the Huanglong Sports Centre Gymnasium here yesterday when he ended the country’s 17-year Asian Games medal drought in artistic gymnastics by taking bronze in the men’s vault final. 

What is more impressive is that the 22-year-old finished ahead of 2022 Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Shin Jea Hwan, of South Korea, who came in fourth.

Ng Shu Wai was the last Malaysian to win an Asiad gymnastics medal with a silver in the 2006 edition in Doha, Qatar.

Another bronze came courtesy of national track cyclist Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom, who finished third in the men's keirin event at the Chun’an Jieshou Velodrome.

The women's squash team, meanwhile, stayed on track for the gold medal when they checked into the final after defeating South Korea 2-0 in the last four at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Squash Court.

Since the women's team event was introduced at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, Malaysia have won the gold medal back-to-back in the inaugural and Incheon 2014 editions but had to settle for bronze in the 2018 edition in Jakarta-Palembang after losing to India in the semi-final.

However, Malaysia will face a sterner test when they play defending champions Hong Kong in the final tomorrow.

The men's squad, meanwhile, failed to defend the gold when they lost 2-0 to India in the semi-finals.

In athletics, national sprinters Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi and Khairul Hafiz Jantan qualified for the semi-finals of the men's 100-metre (m) event while 400m ace Shereen Samson Vallabouy advanced to the final.

At the Hangzhou Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, SEA Games double gold medalist Khiew Hoe Yean came within a whisker of a bronze medal after finishing fourth in the men's 400m freestyle.

Today, national divers Datuk Pandelela Rinong and Nur Dhabitah Sabri will be in action, with the duo competing in the women's 10m synchronised platform event while Muhammad Syafiq Puteh and Ooi Tze Liang will team up in the men's 3m springboard.

Malaysia are now 14th in the medal table after collecting two golds, three silvers and eight bronzes so far, while China continue to dominate with a haul of 105-63-32, followed by Japan (27-35-37) and South Korea (26-28-48). -- Bernama, September 30, 2023