Malaysian athletes flop in Nagoya ahead of home SEA Games
KUALA LUMPUR: Southeast Asian countries Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines performed exceptionally well at the Asian Games in contrast to Malaysia.
Malaysia's performance at the Asian Games in Nagoya fell short of expectations, especially when compared to other Southeast Asian nations. While Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines excelled, Malaysia's athletes returned without any medals, failing to meet their medal target. In the men's 800m, only Umar Osman managed to set a personal best, while Irfan Shamsuddin, who had rewritten his national record, only managed to finish 10th in the men's discus throw.
The National Sports Council (NSC) should tighten its standards for sending athletes to overseas competitions. Despite Azeem Fahmi's 100m bronze at the 2023 Asian Games, he suffered an injury in Nagoya, finishing eighth. Meanwhile, Thailand's Puripol Bonsoon and Joshua Atkinson shone, winning two golds and breaking records in the 100m and 200m, respectively. Singapore's Shanti Pereira won gold in both the 200m and 100m, while Filipino Ernest John Obiena broke the Asian Games record in the men's pole vault.
Danish Iftikhar Roslee qualified for the final in the men's 200m, finishing sixth and holding the national record. However, Shereen Samson Vallabouy failed to defend her 400m bronze. The disappointment echoes the poor performance in the men's long jump, where Andre Anura only managed 6.59m, short of the national record.
With 48 gold medals up for grabs at the upcoming SEA Games, Malaysia must learn from this setback and ensure their athletes are better prepared.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
