Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem (front row, third left) and his wife Datin Patinggi Dato Jamilah Anu (second right) joining in the celebration with Tan Yen Ming and (from second left) Minister of Youth, Sports and Solidarity Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong and assistant chef-de-mission (archery) Snowdan Lawan at the VIP stand in the Sarawak Indoor Stadium. — Photos by Chimon Upon
GOLDEN TRIO: (From left) Audrey Nu Alexander Mula, Tan Yen Ming and Nurul Nur Hafizza Mahdi who bagged three gold medals for Sarawak in the 18th Sukma taekwondo competition yesterday.
Sarawak’s Tan Yen Ming (left) scoring against Ahmad Fahmy Haqim Harun of Perlis in the men’s heavy weight (Over 87kg) final.
KUCHING: Sarawak’s taekwondo team has exceeded their gold medal target by capturing three more golds on the second day of competition at the Sarawak Indoor Stadium yesterday.
In fact, the Sarawak exponents had qualified for five finals out of the six categories contested in the kyorugi (sparring) but could only settle for three.
On Tuesday, the state team made a clean sweep of the three golds in poomsae men’s individual, women’s individual and mixed pair.
“Yes, we have actually achieved our gold medal target of five golds. We targeted for five golds today but it was a pity that Mohd Amirul Juwanda was injured,” said Sarawak Taekwondo Association president Mohd Salleh Sani.
Saying that he was satisfied with the overall performance of the state exponents, Salleh added the next goal will be winning one gold in today’s competition where six more golds will be up for grabs.
Four more categories will be contested on the final of the competition on Friday.
“If we can win seven golds, I believe we have a strong chance of finishing as the overall champions (in taekwondo) in this Sukma,” said Salleh.
The injured Amirul had to settle for the silver in the men’s welter weight (74-80kg) after he lost to Amirul Danial Samsudin of Federal Territory in the final.
Joint bronze medallists were Aravindakumaran Jayaraman of Perlis and Muhammad Shafiq Istijab of Johor.
Sarawak’s golds were contributed by Nurul Nur Hafizza Mahdi who overcame the challenge of Federal Territory’s Nadhirah Norhisham in the final, and Audrey Nu Alexander Mula who beat Nerosha Loganathan of Federal Territory in the women’s welter weight (62-67kg) final.
Tan Yen Ming, who is making his debut in this Sukma, met expectations to out punch and out kick his Perlis opponent Ahmad Fahmy Haqim Harun in the men’s heavy weight (Over 87kg) final.
Meanwhile, Caren Li Ying Ming took the silver in the women’s middle weight (67-73kg) after she lost to Nicole Lim Li Theng from Federal Territory while Eimran Ghaffary Mohamad Daud collected a bronze medal in the men’s middle weight (80-87kg).