File photo shows Ing Biao in action at the 2018 Perak Sukma. — Bernama photo
SIBU: It has been almost two months that state athlete Ngu Ing Biao has not had the opportunity to do his favourite event – the discus throw.
The 20-year-old Sarikei-born athlete is now beaming with joy after the state government agreed to comply with the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).
Under the CMCO, non-contact sports such as cycling, jogging, golf, badminton, table tennis, tennis and individual training like in boxing and athletics are allowed.
However, team sports such as football, basketball, netball and hockey are still prohibited.
“It will be so nice to be able to go out training again after keeping myself at home for the past few weeks. However, the details for my training are still vague and I will have to wait for instructions from my coach before making the next move,’ he said.
The 2018 Perak Sukma silver medalist is looking forward to next year’s Johor Sukma which will be his swansong.
It was a 1-2 finish for Sarawak at the 2018 Sukma when he threw 47.57m (154 ft 3 in) to finish just behind Abdul Rahman Lee who took the gold with a distance of 48.94m (160 ft 9 in).
The bronze medal was awarded to Selangor’s Faris Haziq Jamaluddin who recorded 40.91m (134 ft 3 in).
Abdul Rahman is already over the age limit for Sukma but Faris is still expected to be in contention.
Ing Biao does feel under pressure to deliver. But he has an incredible track record under his belt. As a student he was national schools champion for many years and still holds the MSSM Under-18 record.
“I believe I will have a chance to win the gold medal for the state. That is my mission and my vision for the Johor Sukma,” he said
He has a personal best of 50.19m (164 ft 8 in) obtained when he won the event at the 2019 Sibu Open.
“There are lots of things to consider before I can return to active training. Hopefully, we can get the green light from the relevant agencies so that I can pick up from where I stopped before the MCO came into effect last March,” he said.
The burly Ing Biao, standing at 186cm (6ft 1in), has been shuttling between SMK Sarikei High and SMK Tong Hua in Bintangor to train under coach Liong Shuen Keong before the MCO brought his training to an abrupt halt.
After leaving school, Ing Biao has been following his father to do part time work. During the MCO period he trained at home building on his strength and technique.
“The safety of all is essential. Obviously my coach and officials are also doing their best to ensure our safety and that we are all safe.
“They give us training guidelines and hopefully plan for us to train together,” he added.