Zulfiqar pips Haiqal with a faster time to qualify for 100m final

KUALA LUMPUR: There was joy for Muhd Zulfiqar Ismail but sorrow for Muhd Haiqal Hanafi in sprint events at the 18th Asian Junior Athletics Championships in Gifu, Japan.

Both finished third in their respective boys’ 100m heats but only Zulfiqar qualified for the final after clocking the seventh fastest time in the three heats at the Nagaragawa Stadium yesterday.

Zulfiqar clocked 10.73s in the third heat to finish behind winner Japan’s Satoru Fukushima (10.57s) and Shin Mink-yu of South Korea (10.60s).

Haiqal, who won gold at the Singapore Open in April with a personal best time of 10.47s, could only manage a time of 10.89s in the first heat.

The top two sprinters from three heats and another top two who clocked the fastest time qualify for the final.

Muhd Ilham Suhaimi and Zaimah Atifah Zainuddin qualified for the boys’ and girls’ 400m finals respectively.

Muhd Ilham clocked 48.59s to finish second behind Pasindu Kodikara of Sri Lanka, who clocked 47.94s.

Zaimah clocked 56.90s to finish third in the first heat but her effort was below her personal best of 56.18s.

Ng Ing Biao finished ninth in the boys’ hammer event with a distance of 55.85m.

National coach Mohd Mansahar Abdul Jalil said Muslim athletes were dehydrated due to fasting month.

“The weather here is cold and the journey from the hotel to stadium takes almost an hour. They tried to get used to the different time zone,” said Mansahar.

“We’re satisfied to have four athletes in the final but our athletes will face strong challenge from hosts Japan and India to win medals. We hope at least one will defy the odds.”