Malaysia Relentless In Gold Hunt, Strike Six More Midway of Day 2

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- Malaysia got off to a cracking start on Day 2 of competition in the 29th SEA Games scooping six gold with recurve archers claiming a double in the men’s and women’s team contest and Games rookie Yeap Wai Kin claiming a second gold in wushu. With 13 of 25 gold at stake on Monday accounted for by late afternoon, the home contingent now has 22 gold to increase the distance from the rest on the medals board. Singapore is trailing second with nine, Thailand and Vietnam with six, Indonesia five, the Philippines three and Myanmar two. The standings are set to change after tonight’s six swimming finals with Malaysia appearing in five including Welson Sim defending his 400m freestyle title. On Monday night, Malaysia will clash with Myanmar in the Group A men’s football at the Shah Alam. While the visitors have already booked themselves into the semifinals, Malaysia needs one more point to advance to still one more match against Laos on Wednesday. In a drama-filled day which saw a photo finish in the gruelling men’s cycling criterium road race defended by Malaysia’s Mohd Harrif Salleh, the start of squash competition was postponed following an accident involving two team buses carrying athletes from Thailand, the Philippines and Myanmar. Some of the players have received medical attention and Games organiser, MASOC said two Myanmar players have withdrawn from the first round matches when the competition was rescheduled to this evening. After failing to nail a gold in the individual shoot on Sunday, Malaysia’s recurve archers were on target with the trio of Haziq Kamaruddin, Khairul Anuar Mohamad and Muhammad Akmal Nor Hasrin outclassing Thailand 5-1 to defend the men’s title gold. The women’s team title was won by Nur Afisa Abdul Halil, Nur Aliya Ghapar and Nuramalia Haneesa Mazlan with a similar margin over Indonesia. The other three gold came from bowling and men’s trap shooting. In a dramatic race to the finish, Mohd Harrif Salleh with the support of his elder brother Mohd Zamri, defended the men’s criterium event by half a wheel with the brothers taking gold and bronze in the tactical road race in a photo finish with Thai rider Thanawut Sanikwathi all on a time of 59:35s. Malaysia celebrated a 1-2 finish in men’s doubles bowling with Alex Liew and Muhamad Syafiq Ridhwan Abdul Malek knocking down 2,647 pins to grab the gold to outshine silver-placed teammates Muhammad Rafiq Ismail and Adrian Ang who struck the singles gold and silver on Sunday. In wushu, debutant Yeap Wai Kin continued a golden run nabbing his second gold despite an injured right shoulder. Yet again, he outpointed teammate Wong Weng Son in men’s qiangshu (spear) after his winning start in jianshu (sword). Malaysia picked up a bronze in the women’s qiangshu through Phoon Eyin. At the National Shooting Range in Subang, Benjamin Khor blasted open the shooting competition with a gold for Malaysia in the men’s double trap scoring 71 with the silver going to compatriot Abraham Eng with 66 and Thailand’s Temmart Sirawait settling for the bronze with 44. The event was last held in 2007. -- BERNAMA