TEEN TIITAN ON WAVES

Malaysia’s Fauzi sails to glory

FAUZI Kaman Shah is proving to be a teen titan at sea. The 16-year-old again stole the limelight when he delivered Malaysia’s sole Asian Games sailing gold at the Ancol International Sailing centre yesterday.

Fauzi was also Malaysia’s youngest gold medallist at the 2015 Singapore Sea Games, when he won the optimist event.

And in Jakarta yesterday, the lad duly bagged the Open Laser 4.7 gold, after leading from day one in his Games debut.

Fauzi also “saved” Malaysian Sailing Association (MSA) president Datuk Kamaruzzaman Abu Kassim from jumping into the sea in Ancol if sailing failed to deliver a gold for Malaysia in the Asian Games.

“I am really happy to have realised my dream of winning gold here,” said the Kedah sailor.

However, Fauzi lamented that the gold did not come from an Olympic event, and he is mulling switching to another class so that he can sail at the biggest stage.

“After this, I will compete in the Malaysia Games in Perak and only then I will think about changing class to be able to compete in the Olympics, as it involves my body weight.”

Khairulnizam Afendy won silver in the men’s Laser Standard, which also qualified him for the Tokyo Olympics. Nur Shazrin Latif also earned an Olympic ticket when he won bronze in the Laser Radial.

Malaysia picked up two more bronze medals in the women’s 470 through Nuraisyah Jamil and Norashikin Sayed as well as by Illham Wahab and Nuur Fatin Solehah in the Mix RS One.