ADDED PUSH FOR ATHLETES
Sea Games gold medal hopefuls get overseas training, competitions
DEVINDER SINGH devinder@nst.com.my
SEVERAL national athletes with the potential of winning gold medals at the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games will continue their preparation by heading to Europe and the United States.
Following encouraging performances at the Singapore Open which ended on Friday, Malaysia’s track and field athletes appear set to improve on the all-time low of three gold medals won at the 2015 Sea Games.
The national sprinters spent two months in South Africa before returning home last week but the Sea Games preparation will now move into higher gear.
First off is high jumper Nauraj Singh Randhawa who leaves for Japan today to compete at the Shizuoka Grand Prix on Wednesday and the IAAF World Challenge in Kawasaki on May 21.
Nauraj, who qualified for the World Championships in London in August by setting a new national record of 2.30 metres in Singapore on Thursday, will then head to Europe where he will be joined by Lee Hup Wei.
Discus thrower Irfan Shamshuddin and hurdler Rayzam Shah Wan Sofian will be going to Germany while triple jumper Hakimi Ismail will compete in the US.
Rayzam, who ran two races in South Africa with a season’s best of 13.93 seconds, will reunite with German hurdles coach Jan May In Leipzig.
“We will be working to improve on my technique and I am confident that by the time the Sea Games arrive, I will be able to run 13.8 consistently,” Rayzam, looking to regain the Sea Games 110m hurdles gold medal which he won in 2007, told Timesport yesterday.
“I had a good outing in South Africa, running 13.93s, and my body felt good running in that environment. I can take a lot of confidence away from training and competing there.”
Irfan had a fruitful outing last year in Europe when he broke the national discus record three times in a four-week span and will be looking to do something similar when he leaves on Wednesday.
He looks to be on the right track after breaking the championship record at the Singapore Open with his national record of 59.29m his next target.
“It was raining in the morning and the surface of the ring was quite slippery,” said Irfan of his 57.59m effort in Singapore. “Overall, it was a good warm up before I travel to Europe next week.”
Norliyana Kamaruddin’s surprise victory in the women’s high jump at the Singapore Open, where she defeated Singapore’s 2015 Sea Games bronze medallist Michelle Sng and national record holder Yap Sean Yee, could also earn her a trip to Europe.
“Norliyana would be a good back up in the high jump but whether she competes in the event at the KL Sea Games depends on the schedule,” said national chief coach Zainal Abas.
“Her priority is the heptathlon and we are searching for competitions overseas to help her prepare. She is good for a medal and her points total is not too far off the national record.”