Malaysian Athletics Federation President Angry Over Not Meeting SEA Games Target

Before leaving for the 32nd SEA Games, the Malaysian sports delegation set a target for the Malaysian track and field athletes to win at least 10 gold medals. However, after the competition in Cambodia, the Malaysian track and field team could only win 5 gold medals, 3 silver medals and 12 bronze medals. On May 13, the Malaysian track and field athletes began to return home.

In his first press conference after arriving in Malaysia, the MAF President was very angry. He shared: “How can I be satisfied, not angry? I would be satisfied if we won 12 gold medals. If the 3 silver medals won become 3 gold medals, we will be closer to our goal.”

Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim is not satisfied with what Malaysian track and field athletes achieved at the 32nd SEA Games.

The achievement of 5 gold medals won in Cambodia is equal to what Malaysia's athletics achieved at the 32nd SEA Games in Vietnam. In Cambodia, 3 athletes, Grace Wong (women's shot put), Irfan Shamsuddin (men's discus throw) and Andre Anura Anuar (men's triple jump) continued their excellent performance and successfully defended their gold medals.

However, the focus of Malaysian athletics came from two events: the women's 400m and the men's 400m. In the women's 400m event, athlete Shereen Samson Vallabouy won the gold medal and became the first Malaysian female athlete to step onto the top podium since the 1999 SEA Games in Brunei.

Meanwhile, in the men's 400m event, 20-year-old athlete Umar Osman created a surprise when he won the gold medal in his first SEA Games appearance. The young man from Kluang, Johor achieved a time of 46.34 seconds, breaking the 22-year-old national record for the men's 400m. At the same time, Umar's success helped Malaysian athletics end a 14-year "gold drought" in the men's 400m event. Previously, at the 2009 SEA Games in Laos, athlete Zafril Zuslaini won the gold medal in this event.

Umar Osman is one of the rare bright spots of Malaysian athletics in Cambodia.

Speaking about these two surprises, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim was very optimistic and said that they will be the future of Malaysian athletics. At the same time, he also thanked the athletes for trying their best at the biggest sports event in Southeast Asia.

“I am still grateful that the efforts of the athletes in a short time have yielded positive results. The medals we have won prove that the decision to give the young athletes their first taste of the Sea Games was the right one. These young athletes will replace their seniors in the future,” added Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/chu-tich-lien-doan-dien-kinh-malaysia-tuc-gian-vi-khong-dat-chi-tieu-sea-games-185230514000210302.htm