LANGKAWI: Malaysia’s pair of Khairunnisa Mohd Afendy and Norashikin Mohd Sayed won gold in the women’s International 420 Class on the sixth day of the Asian Sailing Championship in Shanwei, Guangdong, China.Malaysian Yachting Association general manager Mohd Afendy Abdullah in an e-mailed text to Bernama here yesterday said the pair were expected to win gold for Malaysia on Sunday.
He said the fast wind speed at 16 to 18 knots and two- to three-metre high waves worked in favour of the pair.
In the men’s International 420 Class event, Ku Anas Ku Zamil and Mohd Hafizuddin Mazelan took second spot overall.
Afendy said Malaysia still had the chance of winning more medals from their elite Mohd Romzi Mohamad in the Laser Radial Class, and Mohamad Farhan and Ahmaf Latif Khan in the Optimist Class.
In Sunday’s races, Latif from the national back-up squad overtook his teammate Farhan to take second spot in the men’s Optimist Class while the latter came in third. China’s Zhang Xiao looked a good bet for gold. In the women’s Optimist Class, Nurul Izzatul Akmal was in fifth spot and Nur Liyana Mohd Latif in sixth. Thailand’s Nappakao was the leader yesterday.
Romzi managed to improve his position from third to second in the Radial Laser Class while Kharulnizam Mohd Afendy was in seventh, with Singapore’s Koh Seng Leong leading.
In the Laser Standard Class, Nik Ashraf Qaedi Nik Azizan also improved from sixth to fifth overall while another national sailor Harithammry Nassation in seventh spot with Korea’s Ha Jeemin in the lead.
Japanese pair Ishikawa-Yahagawa led the men’s International 470 Class with Malaysia’s Razman Mat Ali and Ahmad Hakimi in eighth spot. — Bernama