THAT’S THE WAY TO DO IT: Sarawak’s karate team clinched their first medal when 20-year-old Nadzirah Tuwah won a silver in the individual kata event yesterday afternoon. Nadzirah’s silver cheered up the team after her teammates failed to deliver a medal after the four earlier events. She lost the final 0-5 to Penang’s Khaw Yee Voon. “We were actually targeting one gold today, but unfortunately we did not make it. But for the female individual Kata category our target was either a silver or bronze and we are delighted that Nadzirah managed to achieve the target,” was how Sarawak head coach Ngui Siou Fong summed up Sarawak’s day. The state team have not given up and are targeting one gold medal from the women’s 55kg kumite event today (July 20). Five events were completed in the first day of the karate competition held at the Miri Indoor Stadium yesterday. Picture: Sarawak silver medallist Nadzirah in action yesterday. — Jenifer Laeng
Kaartic being consoled by a
coach after his elimination.
Tarshyent (red) and Vignes (blue) in their final showdown.
MIRI: Sarawak failed to secure any medal in the three individual kumite events held on the opening morning of the 18th Sukma karate competition yesterday.
The host state’s best opportunity for a medal was in the men’s 67kg category but Collymore Lau Li Kai – the only Sarawakian able to make the last eight – narrowly lost 2-3 to Penang’s Wong Yie Hang in their quarter-final.
Two other Sarawakians who also ended their campaign empty-handed were Kaartic Al Chiramjeevi (55kg men) and Nurhidayah Mohamad Johan (45kg women).
The first gold medal to be awarded went to Selangor’s Tarshyent Paramasivan in the men’s 55kg contest. The defending champion defeated Vignes Suppiah Sivahmuhan of Federal Territory in the final.
Penang won the women’s 45kg event when Priyashankari Hari Sarker won her final against Selangor’s Thilegu Maniam.
The final gold medal of the morning was decided in the 67kg men’s final when Malacca’s Davaras Letchaman won against Perak’s Thinagaran G Saundarajan. Among those catching the action at the Miri Indoor Stadium were Lambir assembleman Ripin Lamat and Malaysia Karate Federation president Senator Tan Sri Mohd Ali Rustam. — by Jacqueline Raphael