Sailors rely on experienced Olympians for Asian Games gold

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's sailing team will rely on a quartet of seasoned sailors, namely Olympians Khairulnizam Afendy and Nur Shazrin Latif, to clinch at least one gold medal at the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Nur Shazrin will also aim to defend her women's ILCA 6 title, having secured gold at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.

Sailing squad manager Afendy Abdullah emphasized the crucial role of the four sailors' experience, as they have previously competed in the Asian Games. The team, comprising 12 sailors, six coaches, and a team manager, aims for a minimum of one gold medal in Gamagori, Aichi. Afendy highlighted their recent acclimatisation training at the competition venue, which grants the sailors valuable insight into Gamagori's wind and water conditions.

He cautioned that sudden weather changes and varying wind and wave patterns pose a significant challenge during the competition, but the team's exposure to these conditions will provide an advantage. Among Malaysia's gold medal aspirations, the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 classes are identified as the primary contenders. Malaysia secured three sailing medals at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, with Nur Shazrin claiming gold in the women's ILCA 6, Asnawi Iqbal Adam winning bronze in the men's ILCA 4, and Tengku Nuraini Ezaty Tengku Khairudeen taking bronze in the women's RS:X.