KUANTAN – The quartet from the Malaysia Sports University Council (Masum) received a boost ahead of the Asean University Games (AUG) in Surabaya, Jakarta later this month, by clinching the gold medal in the 4×100-metre relay at the Malaysia Open Athletics Championships today.
The 4x100m final marked the conclusion of this championship, with eight teams vying for the final gold medal.
Drama unfolded before the competition began when the favoured Sabah quartet was disqualified for a false start by their first runner, prompting them to leave the track.
Under the guidance of former national coach M. Balamurugan, the Masum sprint squad surpassed expectations by defeating competition from several top state teams with a time of 40.81 seconds(s).
Terengganu finished in second place with a time of 41.52s, while Sarawak won the bronze with 41.54s.
Team captain Yusridzwan Danial Yusof, who also ran as the first runner for the quartet, said that winning the gold in this event was their goal from the beginning.
The other sprinters in the quartet are Raimi Mustaffa Kamal, Mohammad Thaqif Mohammad Hisham, and Nabil Alwani Rizal Alwani.
However, their primary focus was on achieving a good timing, and today’s result has bolstered their confidence as they prepare to face more challenging competition at the AUG.
“Alhamdulillah, we expected to win, but in terms of timing, we aimed to record under 40 seconds, yet there was a mistake during the baton exchange earlier.
“Initially, we anticipated Sabah to be one of the main challengers in this event, as one of their runners is capable of running under 10.70s. However, they were suddenly directed to leave due to a false start.
“I wouldn’t say it was a relief for us when Sabah couldn’t continue the competition, instead, I can say all the runners felt nervous, fearing they might make the same mistake,” said Yusridzwan.
In Surabaya, the Masum quartet will receive an additional boost with the inclusion of national sensation Muhammad Azeem Fahmi and Under-21 Asian Championships bronze medalist Pengiran Auf Aidil Hajam, as they aim to clinch the gold medal at the AUG.
Meanwhile, in the women’s event, the Johor quartet comprising Nur Zalifah Natasha Halim, Nabila Natsya Azisyan, Mis’ezatul Shafieqa Sapawi, and Maizurah Safree has shown they are likely contenders at the upcoming Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Sarawak after securing the gold medal with a time of 48.57 seconds.
Terengganu, who made a comeback after trailing behind, secured the silver medal with a time of 48.85s, while the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) team, led by Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli, finished in third place with a time of 49.38s. – June 16, 2024