Perfect goodbye: Shooter Zen Hong wins 9 gold medals in final Sukma

Subang, Pahang's Cheah Zen Hong concluded his final Malaysia Games (Sukma) appearance on a high note, setting a new record by winning nine gold medals in a single edition. This surpassed his previous record of seven golds set at the 2024 Sarawak Sukma. Zen Hong clinched his final two gold medals on the competition's final day, first winning the men's 25m pistol individual event with 575 points, followed by helping Pahang secure the team title at the National Shooting Range in Subang.

In the individual event, Zen Hong outshone his competitors, including Terengganu's Banin Al Ghazali Ahmad Badrul Hisyam, who scored 566 points, and Zainal Azim Ahmad Mahmud from Pahang, who secured bronze with 563 points. Zen Hong combined with Ahmad Mahmud, Muhammad Zainal Azim, and Abdul Razak Ahmad Danial Hakim to win the team gold, amassing 1,671 points.

Selangor finished second with 1,645 points, and Terengganu took bronze with 1,629 points. This historic nine-gold haul surpassed Zen Hong's previous record of seven golds from the 2024 Sarawak Sukma, marking a perfect ending to his junior career. Zen Hong acknowledged it was no easy feat, expressing his happiness at breaking his own record of seven golds from the previous edition.

He emphasized that his junior career in Sukma is now complete. When asked about breaking the record, Zen Hong admitted he had considered it but chose to focus on completing the competition without additional pressure. He hoped this would be a perfect ending to his Sukma journey. The Pahang shooter described his journey across three Sukma editions since 2022 as memorable, as he achieved his targets at each Games.

However, Zen Hong expressed his intention to focus on bigger challenges on the international stage, stating that he is grateful for the achievements at all three Sukma editions and hopes to achieve something extraordinary in the future.