Johor jumpers’ joy
POWER SHOW: Nauraj’s homeboys Norshafiee, Prakash deliver gold, silver
JOHOR is fast becoming the place to be born, if one wants to become a high jumper. Norshafiee Shah and K. Prakash stole the thunder in Day One of the Malaysia Games athletics event with a 1-2 finish as they begin the journey to emulate fellow Johorean Nauraj Singh Randhawa.
Norshafiee jumped 2.10m for the gold, while Prakash registered 2.07m for the silver.
Third place was won by Federal Territories athlete Syazwan Ahmad who also did 2.07m, but lost on count-back.
Nauraj, from Batu Pahat, broke the national record of 2.27m with a jump of 2.29m to qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on merit.
Norshafiee is also from Batu Pahat, and just as lanky as Nauraj.
“I am a little disappointed because I could not even match my personal best (2.14m) because it was drizzling and the track was slippery as well as a little loose.
“My spikes could not get the grip that I prefered, and that’s why I could not achieve the target I set for myself in the Games — to better my personal best,” said Norshafiee.
In the women’s 5,000m walk, FT’s Elena Goh Ling Yin (26:34.6s) won gold, second was Pua Ling En of Johor (26:34.77s) while Kelantan’s Nurul Alia Hazika won bronze (27:00.7s).
Nobody came even close to the blistering national record of 21:30.9 held by Yuan Yu Fang.
In the men’s hammer throw, gold went to Jackson Wong of Sarawak (50.82m), silver to Wong Siew Hug of Sarawak (48.36m) and bronze was won by Perak’s Eng Chun Hau (47.41m).
The national record held by Jackie Wong is a massive 10m away at 61.18m. Kelantan’s in action en route to winning the individual elimination round yesterday. had won, I looked at my brother and just broke into tears.
“They (siblings) have given me a lot of coaching and pointers over the years and I am very grateful to them for what I have achieved. It (advice) has worked for me today.
“I hope to follow in their footsteps and represent the country one day.”
Perak broke the games record en route to winning the men’s 10m air rifle team gold.
Loo Jie Ren, Ahmad Khusyairi Abdul Razak and Farhan Adzha’s combined 1,815 erased the games mark of 1,731 which Selangor had set at the 2002 Sabah Games.
Federal Territories’ Zul Haziq Rosli took the individual gold on 615. Selangor’s Syukri Zulkifli (614) and David Teo (612) of Sarawak came in second and third.
The men’s 25m rapid fire pistol team event saw yet another record biting the dust as Pahang’s Ridwan Awaluddin, Low Wei Chern and Shasmainur Ariff Mohamad Shah notched a combined 1,636 for gold.
Ridwan (552) and Wei Chern (550) notched a 1-2 for Pahang in the individual event. Terengganu’s Safirredzuan Salim took the bronze on 538.