Hurdler Rayzam out for a good time in Asian Championships

KUALA LUMPUR: Hurdler Rayzam Shah Wan Sofian has two targets in mind when he competes in the 22nd Asian Athletics Championships at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India from July 6-9.

Firstly, he wants to improve on his own men’s 110m hurdles national record of 13.67 seconds. Secondly, he wants to qualify for the final.

Rayzam will be heading for India in high spirits, especially after breaking the 23-yearold national record in Germany in May.

The 29-year-old Sabahan clocked 13.67 en route to winning the B final at the Kurpfalz Gala Athletics Championships on May 27 to erase the previous mark of 13.73 set by Nur Herman Majid on his way to the bronze medal at the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games.

Rayzam’s confidence has also been boosted by the seven-week training-cum-competition stint in Europe.

“The tough training and competitions against European hurdlers have really helped me improve my time. I’m feeling good right now,” said Rayzam, who will be featuring in the Asian meet for the fifth time since 2007.

Rayzam also expects the strong challenge from top Asian hurdlers to push him to clock another good time in India.

“I need to clock a good time as it will boost my morale for the SEA Games in August.

“My goal is to win the SEA Games gold after failing to do so in the last three editions,” said Rayzam, who has been training under German coach Jan Klaus Erasmus May since 2015.

Rayzam enjoyed a memorable SEA Games debut when he won the 110m hurdles gold in Korat in 2007.

He then skipped the 2009 Laos Games with a hamstring injury before settling for silvers at the last three Games – 2011 Palembang, 2013 Myanmar and 2015 Singapore.

Rayzam’s best achievement in the Asian meet came when he clocked 13.93 to finish seventh in the final in Koboi, Japan, in 2011.

A total of 17 athletes – 10 men and seven women – will feature in the Asian meet in Bhubaneswar.