Sprinter Khairul vows to make amends at home meet

KUALA LUMPUR: National sprinter Khairul Hafiz Jantan (pic) hopes to make amends for his disappointing outing at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast last month by doing well at the 95th Malaysia Open Athletics Championships.

The three-day Malaysia Open meet begins today at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

In Gold Coast, the SEA Games gold medallist could only managed a slow 10.50 timing in the 100m heats which left him out of the semi-finals.

The 19-year-old Melaka athlete, who holds the national record of 10.18, is aiming to clock 10.20 in the Malaysia Open.

Khairul has not come close to his personal best since he broke Watson Nyambek’s national record of 10.30 in the Sarawak Sukma in 2016.

His best achievement since then is clocking 10.34 to win the 100m gold medal in the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games last year.

Khairul skipped the 100m in last year’s Malaysian Open and competed in the 200m where he clocked 20.90 to break Tan Sri Dr M. Jegathesan’s 49-year-old national record of 20.92 set at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.

Coach Mohd Poad Mohd Kassim said that the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast was his first meet in the 100m event after quite a while.

“I’m optimistic that Khairul would be able to achieve 10.20 in the Malaysian Open as he is physically and mentally in good form.

“His main opponents will be his teammates and I don’t think that sprinters from other countries will be able to beat him for the gold,” said Mohd Poad.

Khairul said he is ready to clock a good time to win the blue-riband event.

“I also hope to defend my 200m gold,” said Khairul, who will also compete in the 4x100m relay.

The other Malaysian sprinters down for the men’s 100m are Mohd Haiqal Hanafi, Badrul Hisyam Abdul Manap, Jonathan Nyepa and Nixson Kennedy.

SEA Games silver medallist Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli will feature in the women’s 100m event.

She clocked 11.84 to qualify for the semi- finals in the Commonwealth Games.

SEA Games record holder and defending champion Muhd Hakimi Ismail will also be in action in the men’s triple jump today.

The 27-year-old Hakimi has a personal best of 16.77m but he only managed 15.97m to finish seventh in the final in the Commonwealth Games.