Sarawak Youth Wakeboard champ eyes Asian meet

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YOUTH TALENT: Sarawak Youth Wakeboard Cup Winner, Arafan together with second and third placings Dzakri Bohari and Zahhar Shamsul Anuar after receiving their trophies at Sarawak Regatta in Kuching. — Bernama photo

KUCHING: Newly-crowned Sarawak Youth Wakeboard Cup

champion Wan Arafan Edruce Wan Abdillah Edruce is eyeing the Asian Championship in Putrajaya next month after beating seven other contestants for the title at the Kuching Waterfront here.

The 21-year-old wakeboarder will be off to face a bigger challenge after winning the title with a total of 51.67 points, justifying his hard work over

the past two months when he joined the Sarawak Wakeboard and Waterski Academy.

“By right I should be taking part in either the novice or intermediate level but the Asian Championship has no such category except the open championship and

its going to be very tough for me,” the Kuching-born-and-bred said here yesterday.

The Sarawak Youth Wakeboard Cup is being held in conjunction with the 2011 Wakeboard World Cup, which saw world class professionals, both women and menfrom 19 countries competing.

Despite being new to the sport and still a long way off from being an accomplished wakeboarder, Wan Arafan said he was determined to put up a good

show and take his career to a new level.

He was happy that he had achieved success so far, having trained under the coaches provided by the academy here six times a week with other youths.

Finishing second in the championship was Dzakri Bohari on 44.33 points while Muhammad Zahhar Shamsul Anuar came in third on 40.00 points.

Meanwhile, 18-year-old Australian Harley Clifford, the reigning world wakeboard champion, came through his qualifying round in the 2011 Sarawak Wakeboard World Cup at the same venue to book his ticket to the semi-finals.

Harley topped the four of the qualifying rounds today, collecting a total of 90 points out of a possible 100, which in wakeboarding terms mean a near perfect display.

The world championship runner-up Andrew Adkinson of the United States came in with the second highest score with a total of 77.56 points in his qualifier

followed by Steel Laferty also of the United States on 74.34 points.

In the women’s pro event, Sweden’s Caroline Djupso and Singapore’s Sasha Christian came through the five-women filed in the last chance qualifier yesterday

to finish number one (on 53.33 points) and two (50.76 points)respectively.— Bernama