MANILA, Dec 5 — The two gold medals from artistic gymnastics and one more gold from lawn bowls provided the much needed cheer on an otherwise dismal day for the Malaysian contingent on the fourth day of the 30th SEA Games yesterday. 

The three gold and another six silver and nine bronze secured was not enough for the national contingent to improve its overall medal standings, keeping them at third placing with 21 gold, 12 silver and 23 bronze medals won so far. 

Besides the three gold, Malaysia won silver medals in three obstacle races and one each in fencing (individual foil), swimming (men’s 400m freestyle) and muay thai. 

The eight bronze medals came through lawn bowls (women’s triples), tenpin bowling (men’s and women’s doubles) shooting (1,500 PPC individual and team women), weightlifting (women’s 71kg and men’s 73kg) and swimming (men’s 4x200m freestyle relay).

Hosts the Philippines continued their dominance in the games by topping the medal standings, accumulating 56 gold, 41 silver and 25 bronze, while Vietnam remained in second spot with 27 gold, 32 silver and 36 bronze. 

Malaysia’s first gold today came through the men’s lawn bowlers in the Fours event after a comfortable 24-6 win over Brunei in the final played at the CDC Lot of Friendship Gate.

National artistic gymnast Tracie Ang then clinched Malaysia’s second gold through the balance beam event before Farah Ann Abdul Hadi contributed the third gold after winning the floor exercise event, her third consecutive gold in this games after winning the all-round individual and uneven bars events. 

The achievements today however, was marred by the football team’s embarrassing 1-3 defeat to Cambodia at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, which resulted in them booking an early flight home after failing to make it out of the group stage. 

Malaysia were the silver medallists in the last edition on home soil in 2017.

The Malaysian contingent will continue their hunt for gold tomorrow in several events, including sailing, tenpin bowling, pentathlon, cycling and shooting. — AFP