JUDOKAS READY TO BREAK GOLD DROUGHT

No champion from Malaysia for 36 years

REPORTS BY FADHLI ISHAK fadhli.ishak@nst.com.my

"It has been a very long time since we won gold, too long actually, and it is my hope that we can finally achieve it this time," said Marjan.

"Farhan is different, he has the ability to vary his skills and techniques and keep his opponents guessing. I believe he has a very good chance to win the gold.

"Physical strength is very important in judo and he has a physique very well suited to this weight class. He is an international class exponent.

"He is well experienced and unbeaten in Southeast Asia for quite a while.”

Farhan is a former Southeast Asia junior champion and also won bronze as a teen at the Singapore Sea Games two years ago. At 21, he is now entering the prime of his career.

Marjan, however, added that it is getting harder to win a medal in the sport as many countries are utilising naturalised judokas, even at Sea Games level.

"It (naturalised exponents) is common now, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore all have them. Many are from Japan while there are also Italian and Korean exponents competing for them.

"Philippines, for example, will have Japanese judokas competing in five out of the six categories here this year.

"There will also be a naturalised exponent (Philipine's Keisei Nakano) in Farhan's weight class. However, I am confident Mohd Farhan Uzair (right) and Nor Izzatul Fazlia train at Bukit Jalil recently.

he will be able to deal with him."

Marjan added that Nor Izzatul Fazlia Mohamad Tahir also has a good chance for gold in the women's under-78kg class. Fazlia, 21, had taken bronze at both the Singapore

and Myanmar (2013) games.

The squad recently spent two months training with the Mongolian national team as part of their preparation for the games.