Ilham garners four golds in Asean schools meet

KUALA LUMPUR: Youngster Muhammad Ilham Suhaimi (pic) is on cloud nine after an outstanding achievement in bagging a total of four gold medals in the just concluded Asean Schools Games.

Out of the 10 golds Malaysia won in athletics, the 18-year-old from Selangor delivered four through the boys’ 200m, 400m, 4x100m and 4x400m in the four-day Games which ended on Tuesday.

Ilham clocked a personal best of 21.77 in the 200m and in the 400m he posted 47.41, which was just 0.08 seconds slower than his personal best of 47.33 he did in the Singapore Open in April to win gold.

In the 4x100m, he clocked 41.07 together with Ruslem Zikri Putra, Muhd Azeem and Muhd Aiedel to win the event.

Ilham anchored the 4x400m quartet of Wan Muhammad Fazri, Ruslem Zikri and Muhd Aftar Rosli to win the event with a time of 3:13.05.

Ilham, who is pursuing a pre-university course at the Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) was thrilled to bits with his success.

“I never expected to win golds in the 200m and 400m as I was not sure of the strength of the other athletes.

“Winning four golds in the Asean School Games is my best achievement so far.

“It has been a great year for me in all competitions as last month I won the 4x400m bronze in the Asian Junior Championships in Gifu, Japan,” said Ilham who, together with Luqmanul Hakim Khairul Akmal, Muhd Saiful Safwan Saifuddin and Abdul Wafiy Roslan, clocked a personal best time of 3:09.60 to erase the previous nation- al junior record of 3:12.45 set in Singapore in 1988.

Ilham said that he now wants to focus his career in the 400m.

“I believe that I have the ability to run well in the quarter-mile event and I want to win a place in next year’s SEA Games in the Philippines,” said Ilham.

The national 400m record is 46.41 set by Mohd Zaiful Zainal Abidin in the Asian Junior Championships in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, in 2001.

Ilham added that there would be no break for him as he would compete in the Thailand Sports School Championships in Krabi, which begins on Aug 4.

“I will be more than happy if I can maintain my time in the meet in Krabi,” said Ilham, who credited national coach Mohd Poad Mohd Kassim for his success.