M’sian athletes met target at 2018 Asiad

JAKARTA: After 14 days of competition, the 2018 Asian Games Jakarta-Palembang came to a close with a brilliant fireworks display at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium here Sunday night.

The Malaysian contingent of 417 athletes headed by chef de mission Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi delivered seven gold, 13 silver and 16 bronze medals in the 18th Asian Games which exceeded the achievement of the 2014 edition in Incheon in which Malaysia claimed 5 gold, 14 silver and 14 bronze medals.

However the national 2018 Asiad medal haul was below the 9 gold, 18 silver and 14 bronze medals won in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games in China.

Defending champions China retained their domination as the Asian sports power since the 1982 edition in New Delhi, India when the country amassed 132 gold, 92 silver and 65 bronze medals, followed by Japan (75-56-74), South Korea (49-58-70) and hosts Indonesia in the fourth place with 31-24-43.

Five sports categorised in excellent performing group are tenpin bowling (two gold and two silver), track cycling (one gold, one silver and one bronze), squash (two gold, one silver and one bronze), sailing (one gold , one silver and three bronze) and sepak takraw (one gold and one silver), while the other sports were in the satisfactory and failed groups.

The sepak takraw squad should be commended for ending the 24year gold medal drought in the men’s regu event since the 1994 edition in Hiroshima, Japan even though sepak takraw was dropped as a core sport by the National Sport Council.

The national men’s hockey squad should also be hailed for defeating Asian Games defending champions, India 7-6 in a penalty shootout after drawing 2-2 at full time in the semi-finals.