Trio steal show in athletics meet in Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Schools Sports Council (MSSM) athletes have smashed three meet records in the International Little Athletics Championships in Singapore.

Wong Yu Kiong was in sizzling form as he broke the 16yearold Under14 discus record by more than four metres in the twoday championship which ended on Thursday.

He hurled the discus to a person al best of 55.87m, erasing the previous record of 51.78m set by Justin Wood of Australia in 2002.

Ng Jing Xuan also stole the limelight in the twoday meet by shattering the 28yearold Under15 javelin record by more than one metre with a throw of 39.18m.

Her efforts erased the previous record of of 38.10m set by Rishelle Hume of Australia in New South Wales in 1990.

The third record was set by Jonah Chang Anak Rigan in the boys’ Under15 shot putt event with a hurl of 17.79m.

The old record of 17.29m was set by Singapore’s Cai Jiashen in 2007.

The meet is an annual triangular championship for Under14 and Under15 boys and girls from Malaysia, Singapore and Western Australia.

And at the end of the competition, Malaysia emerged as the overall champions with a medal haul of 272224 followed by Little Athletics Western Australia (LAWA) 252520 and Singapore Schools Sports Council (SSSC) with 111619.

National chief coach Zainal Abas was impressed with the record breaking feats of the three youngsters.

“The standard and the quality of the athletes taking part in the meet has been on a steady rise every year. National sprinter Khairul (Hafiz Jantan), who won the men’s 100m SEA Games gold medal last year, had also participated in the Little Athletics Championships,” said Zainal.

“We hope to see more of our junior athletes continue winning gold medals and breaking records in future Little Athletics Championships. Most of them will be selected to represent Malaysian in the Asean School Games in a few years time,” said Zainal.