Decade of pain
DETERMINED: Rayzam vows to rediscover form and win gold 10 years after surprising in Korat Sea Games
HURDLER Rayzam Shah Wan Sofian intends to put a decade of heartache behind him when he lines up at the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games next August.
After bursting onto the scene with an unexpected 110m hurdles gold medal at the 2007 edition in Korat, Rayzam has struggled to recapture the form which brought him his only claim to fame.
Rayzam won three silver medals since his 2007 victory and each time he was denied gold by his erstwhile rival Jamras Rittidet of Thailand.
Last year’s defeat to the Thai in Singapore was especially galling with Jamras setting a Games record of 13.69 seconds to leave Rayzam trailing in his wake in a distant 13.97s.
But with the advantage of racing on home soil in 2017, Rayzam hopes to turn the tables on Jamras at long last.
“My target is to regain the gold dream is Germany’s national 110m hurdlers coach Jan May, who is corresponding with the Sabah-born hurdler by electronic communication.
Rayzam had worked with May on-and-off between 2010 and 2014 and reunited with the German earlier this year.
“I feel like I had some of my best results when I worked with May and I made the decision to work with him again,” said Rayzam, who will launch his 2017 season competing in Australia in February before heading to Germany in May.
“It does not matter that he is not here because I follow the programme he gave me diligently. He came down to Kota Kinabalu for a month in September-October and we had good training sessions.”
Rayzam, whose personal best is 13.81s set in 2012, is not one targeted to deliver gold at the Sea Games with national chief coach Zainal Abas looking at a younger breed of athletes to improve on the sport’s all-time low of three gold medals in 2015.
But Rayzam hopes to show the old guard, which includes high jumper Lee Hup Wei, shot putter Adi Alifuddin Hussin and walker Lo Choon Sieng, can still be counted upon to rise to the occasion. Rayzam Shah Wan Sofian National hurdler Champions ( fourth from left) and ( fifth from left) with PGA secretary Lee Lay Choo, MGA secretary Datuk Zulkifli Ismail, BJGR president Datuk Christopher Wan, MGA president Senator Admiral (rtd) Tan Sri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor, PGA president Datuk Phen Say Bah, MGA general manager Ishak Md Esa and BJGR managing director Khor Kim Tong at the Bukit Jawi Golf Resort in Seberang Perai Selatan recently. Pic by K. Kandiah Datuk Phen Say Bah, who also Penang Golf Association president, said about 100 amateur golfers from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia competed in the three-day event. medal and by the time the Sea Games comes around, it would have been 10 long years since my only victory,” said Rayzam, who turns 29 on Jan 11, when contacted in Kota Kinabalu yesterday.
“It has always been my ambition to win another gold medal and with this Sea Games in Kuala Lumpur, I’m confident I can do it.
“Jamras, as usual, will be the biggest obstacle but I will also to have to watch out for runners from Indonesia, Philippines and Laos.”
Helping Rayzam to achieve his
1 Daeng Abdul Rahman (Mas) 209pts, 2 Muhammad Afif Muhammad Razif (Mas) 217, 3 Tiago Lobo (Abu Dhabi) 225.
1 Daqeng Abdul Rahman
The (Mas) 209, 2 Syazwan Syakir Sobri (Mas) 213, 3 Muhamad Ibtisham Datuk Yusoff (Mas) 215.
1 Pauline Del Rosario (Phi) 210, 2 Mikhaela Fortuna (Phi) 211, 3 Geraldine Wong Xiao Xuan (Mas) 219.
1 Ashley Chin Yen Ling (Mas) 206, 2 Mikhaela Fortuna (Phi) 208, 3 Farah Adylah Yeoh (Pg) 209. By K. Kandiah
in SportsUnite Ladies Unity Futsal League at the Super Bobai Futsal Complex.