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- Gold medallist Ngu Ing Biao (right) and silver medallist William Wong celebrate on the track after completing the Boys U-18 discus on the first day of the 59th national schools track & field championships (MSSM) at the City Stadium, Penang yesterday. — Photos courtesy of Sarawak Schools Sports Council
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- Dolly Uring Jau (right) and Karen Rejie made it a 1-2 finish in the Girls U-12 100m.
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- Nadia Jaman competes in the Girls U-12 long jump.
KUCHING: Three 12-year-olds made up for the setbacks suffered by the Sarawak team on the first day of the 59th national schools track & field championships (MSSM) at the City Stadium, Penang yesterday.
Tang Shi Ung won the team’s first gold and sounded an early warning of Sarawak’s traditional strength in throwing events. The Primary Six student from SJK (C) Yong Kwong, Meradong threw 10.19m to win the Girls U-12 shot put.
Nadia Jaman had shown promise after she cleared a good distance of 4.58m in the Girls U-12 long jump at last month’s state schools championships held in Kuching. Yesterday, the SK Nanga Dayu student in Julau improved further by jumping 4.73m to deliver Sarawak’s second gold.
But the state squad suffered two major shocks in the course of the day’s action.
Sabah’s Reveynylle Jonias won the Boys U-15 discus with a throw of 49.97m. Sarawak’s 13-year-old Wong Yu Kiong finished fourth with 47.47m while his senior teammate Zeronnie Felipe Thomas, who threw 52.76m last month, could only register one throw of 39.81m in the whole competition.
Defending champion Grace Wong threw below par to 36.93m for the silver medal in the Girls U-18 discus. Pahang’s Nani Sahirah snatched the gold with 39.81m while another Sarawakian Wong Xiao Jing was third with 36.27m.
Another Sarawak defending champion Ngu Ing Biao, however, won in style by shattering his own record of 52.84m in the Boys U-18 discus. The 17-year-old from Sarikei High School threw to a new distance of 52.89m to clinch his team’s third gold. Teammate William Wong, who is from SMK Tong Hua, Meradong clinched the silver with his distance of 49.81m.
At 10.30pm last night, further good news arrived when Dolly Uring Jau, who hailed from Baram’s SK Long Laput, coasted to victory in the Girls U-12 100m with a time of 13.39sec. Karen Rejie, who is from Lubok Antu’s SK Ulu Lemanak, made it a 1-2 finish for Sarawak clocking 13.53sec.
Sarawak athletes are on a mission to retain the MSSM title.
Last year, Selangor ended Sarawak’s six-year reign as overall champions by winning 14 gold to the latter’s 13.
The four-day MSSM Meet will end on April 28 (Friday).