Sabah archery athlete settled for silver
IPOH: Perak’s archery athlete, K. Morogen fulfils forecasts of winning the gold medal in the men’s individual compound at the Malaysia Para Games (Sukma) 2018, yesterday.
Despite losing both legs in a crash in 2011, the 46-year-old national athlete managed to pick 126 points to beat Sabah’s Ramdi Rahimi, who won 123 points for the silver medal.
Bronze medal was won by Kedah athlete Azrul Abd Rashid with 140 points to beat Wiro Anak Julin from Sarawak who finished fourth after collecting 136 points.
Maintaining his gold medal in the same event at the 2016 Sukma Para in Sarawak, Morogen who lived on Mount Lang, here, said that although this time he was playing on his own turf he could not take it easy as most participants exhibited great and close performances.
“I regard this achievement as a result of practising morning and evening every day over the past few months to face this game and I need to stay calm for the best aims,’’ he said.
“This festival is among the best platforms for me to train if I am picked to represent the country at the ASEAN Para Games in Manila next year and win the gold medal to bring fame to the country,’’ he told Bernama here yesterday.
The gold for the same event in the women’s category was won by Sabah athlete, Lidwina Isidore Andilah who collected 118 points to overcome national athlete, Nor Sa’adah Abdul Wahab, representing the host contingent, who garnered 109 points to win the silver medal.
The bronze medal was won by another athlete from Perak, Nur Jannaton Abdul Jalil after beating Nurizzati Zahidah Hasanuddin of Sabah, 122-120.
For the men’s individual recurve, Kedah’s athlete S. Suresh won the gold medal after beating team mate, T. Suresh, 6-5, who won the silver medal.
Terengganu athlete, Anwari Mamahad took home the bronze medal after beating team mate Hasihin Sanawi, 6-4, who had to be contented to be in fourth place.
In the women’s category, in the same event, the Selangor contingent, which had sent archery athletes to the Sukma Para Games for the first time, created a surprise by winning the gold medal through their young athlete, Shazleen Elneesha Saiful Azmi who beat host athlete Nursyafiqah Abdul Hamid, 6-2.
Shazleen Elneesha, 16, said she was proud and happy to be Selangor’s first athlete to win the gold medal of the event and aspired to represent the country someday.
Born in a family keen in the archery sports, Shazleen Elneesha said this was the result of intensive training and guidance from her grandmother, Faridah Osman, who was her coach at the HAFA (Hamid Faridah) Archery Club in Selangor.
“My four uncles have also represented Selangor at Sukma a few years ago in archery and they have been a driving force for me to love and do my best in this archery event,” said Shazleen Elneesha who lost her right foot to bone cancer.
The bronze medal was won by Norismaliza Suhidi from Perak after defeating Loh Chi Hui from Pahang, 6-2. — Bernama