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Grace makes Sukma history
Posted on July 16, 2012, Monday
RISING STAR: Grace is still young and has tremendous potential of becoming a big name in athletics.
KUANTAN: Grace Wong Xiu Mei may be just only 12- years-old but she certainly has big ambitions.
The youngest member of the Sarawak athletics team made history on Friday created history of sorts when she threw the 4kg iron to a distance of 11.78m in the women’s shot putt at Stadium Darul Makmur on Friday.
Grace was in fact eyeing to win the gold but had to settle for second spot after her older teammate from Miri Casier Renee Lee registered 12.04m to top the 12-participant field.
The bronze was won by Bibi Nuraishah Ishak from Kelantan whose mark was 11.29m.
“Fantastic! I think she has already made history in Sukma or Asean athletics by hurling the 4-kg shot putt ball over the 11m mark,” her coach Thomas Ling Neng Thung said.
Ling was very happy with the result as the youngest contestant was able to defeat the other ten opponents in the event and also with her final throw of six attempts.
“Grace was so happy that when she recorded 11.78m that she sat down and cried, refusing to believe her eyes,” related Ling.
“She was also very happy that she can contribute a silver for the state contingent,” he said, adding that Grace is still young and has tremendous potential of becoming a big name in athletics one day just like her uncle Wong Tee Kui who holds the national hammer throw record and a three-time gold medallist in Sea Games.
Ling said the 11.78m was Grace’s official personal best although she had done better than this during training. After Sukma XV, Ling, who is MSNS Sarikei Centre of Excellence for Athletics (throw events), said he may switch Grace to hammer throw.
“The 4kg ball is too big for Grace and is ‘slippery’ because her fingers are not long enough to hold it firmly,” he explained.
Apart from Grace, there were other athletes from Sarikei who had done well in the athletics competition in Pahang.
Jackie Wong Siew Cheer set a new record of 55.25m to break his old record of 55.14m set in Melaka Sukma in 2010 and won the gold for the third time in Sukma.
Michael Sia Sung Dak took the silver with a throw of 47.58m while Tiong Mee Yien won the women’s hammer throw bronze.
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