WEN YAN ON FIRE

Shooter breaks national air pistol record, eyes Games spot

TWO national records were broken in the Tun Haniff Trophy Championships at Subang Shooting Range yesterday.

Choo Wen Yan brightened his chances of a spot in the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games in August when he rewrote the national record in the men’s 10m air pistol event (final).

The Johor-shooter posted 237.4 points in the final to break Eddy Chew’s record of 201.30 points set in April last year.

Second-place Eddy and thirdplace Jonathan Wong also surpassed the previous national record with scores of 235.70 and 216.5 respectively.

“It is a great achievement to finish ahead of Olympian Jonathan and former Sea Games champion Eddy in this event. I was focused on every shot in the final and made them count,” said Wen Yan yesterday.

In the 50m rifle three-position event, Lufti Othman set a national record for the preliminary round.

He posted a 1,163 series to erase Nurrahimin Abd Halim’s four-year record by a point. The final will only be completed today.

Aida Amirah Sheriff caused a sensational upset by overcoming 2015 Sea Games champion Alia Sazana Azahari for the women’s 25m pistol gold medal.

The national-back up shooter garnered 33 points to edge silver medallist Aida by two shots while Bibiana Ng posted a 23 series.

“This is the first time I have beaten Alia for the title. A good start for me in this season’s first domestic competition. However, I need to continue my momentum and do well as I hope to make the Sea Games squad for this event.

“It will not be easy as there are other experienced shooters such as Bibiana Ng all fighting to represent Malaysia in the biennial games,” said Aida.