Lee Yong, Norris lead chase for MSSM track glory
KUCHING: Quek Lee Yong and Norris Foo, the two state’s MSSM 17 year- old ‘ veterans, will lead a promising group of younger Sarawak sprinters at the 57th MSSM Inter- State Track & Field Championships to be held at Hang Jebat Stadium, Melaka from May 10-14.
Lee Yong and Norris have come a long way since both made their first appearance at the national schools meet in 2010.
Then, the two Sibu-born athletes ran in the U12 primary school category. It was only three years later that they climbed to the top of the podium while competing in the U15 age-group.
Lee Yong won the 110m and 200m hurdles (new record) to walk away with the ‘Best Boy’ athlete of the 2013 MSSM Championship.
Norris hit the tape first to win the gold medal in the 100m and 100m hurdles.
Lee Yong is heavily favoured to win the U18 110m and 400m hurdles this year. In the longer distance, he is the reigning ASEAN Schools champion when he clocked 52.23sec in Manila, the Philippines in December 2014.
Norris, Sarawak’s top female sprinter for the last three years, will defend her 100m hurdles title in Melaka and also hope to improve on her silver-medal performance in the 100m last year. She is also on the brink of becoming the first Sarawakian woman to go under 12sec in the event.
An exciting group of young sprinters emerged at this year’s state schools meet in Sibu last month. They will fuel Sarawak’s challenge in the sprint events in Melaka.
Four U18 boys led by Kuching’s Asly Chua dipped below 11sec in the 100m. Miri’s Nurzuki Eddy led three other U12 boys to better or match 12.5sec – last year’s bronze- medal winning time in the national meet.
Last month, a total of eight girls blazed the Sibu track to go under 13sec in the 100m.
Three were in the U18 race: Norris (12.0), Gladys Then (12.6), Ayu Nazira (12.8). For the U15, the pair of Mandy Goh ( 12.6) and Bong Lee Lin (12.8) are both from Kuching. Amazingly, the other three girls are still only 14 years old: Dana River Yu (12.7), Nurhaziqah Izzati ( 12.8) and Sherilyn Chan (12.9).
Last year, Sarawak won 17 gold medals to top the MSSM Meet for the fifth consecutive year.
But it has been four years since Sarawak struck four gold medals in the 4x100m relay for Boys U18, Boys U12, Girls U15 and Girls U12. No relay team has won since 2011.
Perhaps the current crop of sprinters, anchored by Lee Yong and Norris, can finally break that 4-year spell.
The state contingent, comprising 81 athletes and officials, will depart Sibu for Melaka today.