SEA Games: Brunei Waits For First Athletics Gold Since 1977

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 (Bernama) – Brunei will be determined to grab their first gold medal in athletics at the SEA Games at the 29th edition of the meet, here since they participated in the games in 1977. Brunei, which first participated in the SEA Games in 1977, had never won the gold medal in athletics and their best performance was winning two silver medals in Jakarta and Chiang Mai. Brunei athletics team manager Md Shahjohan Shari, said no medal target was placed on the country’s athletics squad which was only represented by five sprinters. “Our target this time is to break the national record in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. If they can win any medal, it is a bonus for Brunei,” he told Bernama. For the 100m event, Brunei will be represented by Md Fakhri Ismail who has a personal best time of 10.59s and Md Asy Syafi’e Md Bohari, while the 200m will be represented by Muhammad Noor Firdaus Ar-Rasyid who had just broken the national record with a time of 21.64s. Also listed in the squad were Abdul Rahim Abdullah and Muhammad Faaizul Abdullah who will carry the national challenge in the 4x100m relay. Md Shahjohan said : “At the Singapore Open recently, our 4x100m quartet had broken the national record with a time of 40.92s compared to the earlier record of 40.95s made at the Singapore SEA Games. In athletics, the long-distance run is the most popular,” he said. Overall, the nation which has a population of less than half a million has won 11 gold medals, 41 silver and 132 bronze throughout its participation at the SEA Games for 18 times, excluding this edition. For the current edition, Brunei is now ranked in ninth position after winning three bronze medals through sepak takraw, namely in the team regu, chinlone (non-repetition primary) and chinlone (linking). -- BERNAMA