Sabah hit 32 for best-ever Sukma gold medal haul
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah are officially enjoying their best ever outing in the history of the Malaysia Games (Sukma), which is the country’s premier multisport event.
After equalling their best gold haul as non-Sukma host with the 26th gold medal won on Thursday, the state contingent added another six yesterday to register their best showing in the games.
Sabah previous high was 28 gold which they achieved playing as Sukma host in 2002.
As of press time yesterday, the state overall medal count stood at 32 gold, 28 silver and 43 bronze where three gold medals were from pencak silat, one from boxing, one from men’s hockey and one from women’s sepaktakraw.
Pencak silat exponent Andi Azura Muluk had the distinction of delivering the 29th gold when she won the women’s Class D (6065kg) final.
It was never an easy gold as Andi faced home favourite Nur Adilah Mohamad Zamri, but she kept her composure to claim a hard-earned 3-2 win to seal the gold.
Andi went on to be awarded the Most Promising Putri Silat exponent in the competition.
In fact, the 27th and 28th gold medals were also won at the Dewan Jubli Perak in Kuala Kangsar where the silat competition was based, with Mohammad Amiruddin Adzmi and Nursyazeera Hidayah Idris winning their respective finals.
In the men’s Class H (8085kg), Amiruddin edged Johor’s Muhammad Aizat Iqbal Anuar 5-0 while Nursyazeera claimed a 4-1 win over Terengganu’s Nurul Ainil Afifah Alias in the women’s Class B (50-55kg) final.
The three gold medals won also ensured that the state pencak silat team achieved their five gold target in Sukma, where the squad also added two silver and three bronze medals.
Nurul Hazifah Jederion (women’s class 70-75kg) and Nuratikah Mustafah (women’s singles Jurus Tunggal Baku) delivered the first two pencak silat gold.
There was also joy at the Dewan Dato Loppe Hashim in Bagan Datuk where boxing claimed their only gold, but an important one too.
Khairul Azzim Nasser blanked Sarawak’s Daeloniel Mcdelon Bong for five to take the men’s bantamweight (56kg) gold, thus securing their target in Sukma where they also won six bronze.
The gold also hit the 30-gold mark for the first time.
Sabah hockey then wrote a new chapter in their history when they won the men’s gold last night.
The state squad defeated Pahang 4-2 in the penalty shoot-out after the match had ended 1-1 in regulation time.
Prior to that, the sepaktakraw team won their gold in the women’s regu 4 (Quadran) category by edging hosts Perak 2-1 in the final.
Ellizah Blanda Bagari, Madziatul Rosmahani Saidin, Nadillatul Rosmahani Saidin, Nur Fatehah Rossli, Nurfaezahni Masri and Siti Hadinavilla Jumidil registered a 16-21, 21-13 and 21-10 victory over Perak’s Atiqah Yasmin Aziz, Nur Athirah Roslan, Nur Batrisyia Afrina Iskandar, Nur Syahira Hisaam, Nurul Najwa Atiqah Mohd Daud, and Siti Farisha Hissan.
Sabah also won two silver and one bronze medals on the penultimate day of the 19th edition of Sukma yesterday.
Sabah’s four-gold hero Eugenius Lo Foh Soon teamed up with Chin Si Yi and Mecedger Sage Edie lost in the Compound Men’s Team final to Penang 230-234 to settle for the silver.
It was the last medal offered in archery where Sabah totalled four gold and two silver, with Eugenius having a hand in all the medals won, including the four individual gold plus records.
At the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Stadium, the state women hockey team’s gallant run ended in the final where they lost to favourites Selangor 0-1 with Siti Nur Aliah Amiruddin’s 23rd minute strike separating the teams.
However, for the state women to go into the final was already an achievement as it was their firstever appearance in the title match in Sukma.
Sabah also have more reasons to celebrate in their participation in the ongoing Sukma, despite the fact that the contingent’s 40gold target was now beyond their reach.
One day after claiming a firstever gold in Muaythai, the state achieved another first in track cycling at the Velodrome Rakyat yesterday.
The track cycling squad coached by former journalist Louis Pang created history by winning their first medal in the Sukma debut.
Waldron Chee Wen Chon edged Muhsin Al Redha Misbah in the men’s Individual Pursuit bronze medal race, registering total time of 4:55.753s to the latter’s 4:57.910s.
The state cyclists will head into the cycling events on the last day of Sukma today hoping to add more to their tally.