Chops and kicks intact
Prem and Sureeya make up for asiad pain with wins at SEAKF meet
JAYA: S. Prem Kumar and H. Sureeya Sankar are all smiles after redeeming themselves with strong performances in the SEAKF (Southeast Asian Karate Federation) Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.
The kumite duo endured disappointing campaigns in the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year but bounced back strongly to win their respective categories in the meet, which concluded yesterday.
The 30-year-old Prem returned to the men’s kumite below 50kg weight class and justified the switch by beating Steves Yuthana Tep of Cambodia 6-1 to claim the gold.
The reigning SEA Games champion, who had a bye in the first round, had scored a 15-7 win over Truong Nam Tien of Vietnam earlier to move into the semis and brushed aside Thai Audomsap Saraphong 6-1 to reach the gold medal match.
Prem was moved up to the below 67kg class at the Asian Games in Hangzhou but was shown the exit in the quarter-finals. He had previously won bronze in the below 60kg division at the 2018 Indonesian Asian Games.
Prem was pleased to shine in Bangkok.
“We have been training for the SEAKF since last December and winning the gold is a good sign for the Asian Karate Championships in Hangzhou in September,” said Prem.
“The team proved that we are still competitive and a bit ahead of the other nations in the region.
“We did well to win the medals and at the same time we identified areas that we need to improve,” he said.
Sureeya was also in his element as he prevailed 4-3 over Thailand’s Worakan Soda in the final of the below 60kg category.
Earlier, he had overpowered Thailand’s Chalermpon Piwlaaiad 10-2 to reach the semis and scored a crushing 12-4 win over Vietnam’s Chu Van Duc to enter the final.
Sureeya had high hopes of winning a medal in his Asian Games after picking up a second SEA Games gold in Cambodia last year but he sustained a hand injury and eventually lost in the second round of a repechage bout in the below 60kg category.
S. Geerijaieswaran made it a triple joy when he landed a gold in the below 67kg category after beating Myanmar’s Chit Zwe (10-2), Thailand’s Siwakon Muekthong (8-3) and Vietnam’s Dang Hong Son (9-1).
There was more joy for Prem, Sureeya and Geerijaieswaran as they later helped to deliver the team kumite gold medal for Malaysia after beating Thailand 9-1 in the final.
Mazlan Mukhriz took the fifth gold in the boys’ cadet individual kata.
Asian Games champion Mohd Arif Afifuddin, however, settled for silver after losing 2-10 to Vietnam’s Nguyen Tranh Truong in the final.
It was the same fate for Asian Games silver medallist Lovely Anne Robberth as she was beaten by eventual champion Alforte Sakura of the Philippines in the kata semis. The Sabahborn Lovely lost to Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Phuong in the repechage for bronze.
P. Madhuri was the only Malaysian woman to contest a kumite final but she lost 4-8 to Vietnam’s Tran Thi Quynh in the below 55kg category while SEA Games champion C. Shahmalarani settled for bronze in the below 50kg class.
Malaysia placed fifth in the overall medal standings with 5-7-9. The top four are Vietnam (21-21-32), Thailand (13-16-31), Indonesia (10-8-13) and the Philippines (6-1-16).
“We have been training for the SEAKF since last December and winning the gold is a good sign for the Asian Karate C’ships in September.” Prem Kumar