No stopping Balakumaran
INDOMITABLE: Wins gold despite being under the weather
KEDAH exponent G.N. Balakumaran battled fever and flu to claim the first gold medal for his state in taekwondo featherweight at the Petra Jaya Indoor Stadium in Kuching yesterday.
He not only had to fight Sarawak’s Chai Chun Hui and his noisy supporters, but also a high temperature which he has been nursing for the last few days. And just before competition, he was hit by influenza. That didn’t stop Balakumaran though as he easily won 13-1 to also claim Kedah’s first gold medal of the Games.
“I was confident of winning because I put in a lot of work to make myself fit. And one of the reasons I won with a big margin is because I read my opponents game when he was fighting in the semi-finals.
“Even though he was bigger than me, I roughly knew his technique. I also followed my own style, and did not allow him to push me into making too many mistakes in defence.”
The bronze went to Ahmad Izzat Ahsanuddin Sofian (Brunei) and Zuhair Nor Azam (Terengganu).
Federal Territories added two more gold medals through Woo Wai Keong (men’s lightweight) and Jasmin Nabilla Sukardi (women’s bantamweight).
Selangor also took two gold through Chua Xin Wei (men’s bantamweight) while Nurul Farah Alisa Roslan won the women’s featherweight.
In the women’s lightweight, Dwi Regina Ismail Uvaraj from Johor won the gold.
(left) in action against Sarawak’s Chai Chun Hui in the taekwondo featherwaeight final yesterday.