Trio win appeal and get to compete in Asian Games
KUALA LUMPUR: The dream of competing in the Asian Games has come true for hurdler Rayzam Shah Wan Sofian (pic).
The 110m hurdler from Sabah and two other national field athletes – pole vaulter Iskandar Alwi and hammer thrower Jackie Wong Siew Cheer – were dropped from the Indonesia Asian Games squad by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) for failing to beat the fourth place qualifying mark of the last Games.
However, the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) made an appeal to Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) and their appeal have been accepted.
The trio will compete in category B, which means the MAF will have to bear their expenses to compete in the Asian Games.
OCM will reimburse category B athletes if they win medals in the Games.
The 30-year-old Rayzam Shah, who went to Europe for six weeks of training-cum-competitions in June in preparation for the Asian Games, was delighted after being informed that he would be competing in the Games.
“I thank MAF for appealing for the three of us and I also want to thank OCM for allowing us to compete under category B. I have never featured in the Asian Games and my dream has come true.
“It will be my first and last Asian Games as I am already 30 and won’t be around for the next Games in four years time,” said Rayzam, who has a season best of 13.86 set in Zeulenroda International meet in Germany in June. It was still way off the Asian Games qualifying mark of 13.66.
The two-time SEA Games gold medallist Rayzam, who holds the national record of 13.67, vowed to give his best although he was included for the Games at the last minute.
“My mission is to qualify for the final and to do that I have to clock 13.80.
“I also want to thank Sabah State Sports Council for willing to bear my expenses for the Games. It is an honour that they are supporting me,” he said.
Hefeatured in theCommonwealth Games in Gold Coast in April and clocked 14.03 in the heats and failed to qualify for the finals.