Hakimi misses medal despite good leap

PETALING JAYA: National triple jumper Mohd Hakimi Ismail deserves a pat on the back despite missing out on a podium finish at the World University Games ( Universiade) in Gwangju, South Korea.

The 24-year-old SEA Games champion made his best leap of 16.59m on his fifth attempt to finish a commendable fourth at the Universiade Main Stadium yesterday.

Dmitrii Sorokin of Russia won the gold medal with a personal best jump of 17.29m.

Hugues Zango of Burkina Faso and China’s Xu Xiaolong both jumped 16.76m but the former won the silver while the latter took bronze because of different level of wind resistance.

Hakimi’s mark was not far from his own SEA Games record of 16.76m, set in Singapore last month.

But it’s certainly good enough to put him on the right mind set ahead of the World Championships in Beijing from Aug 22-30, where he’ll be looking to beat the Rio De Janeiro’s Olympic qualifying mark of 16.90m.

Meanwhile, in the men’s football, not even a 19th minute opener by Thamil Arasu could inspire Malaysia as they fell 3-1 to Mexico in the 9th-16th classification match.

The lead lasted barely five minutes before Luis Alfredo Medrano Villanue levelled in the 24th minute and then Martin Rene Loya Hernandez put Mexico in front at half-hour mark and they made it 3-1 from a penalty.

Malaysia face Canada in another playoff match today.

So far, Malaysia have won a bronze medal from the mixed team badminton event.