KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 — Melaka athlete Muhammad Fakhrul Razi Jailani made a marked improvement from his previous performance in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) when he won the men’s 20km walk today.
In the event at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium here, Muhammad Fakhrul, who won the bronze in the 2018 edition in Ipoh, led from the start and finished in one hour, 40 minutes and 05 seconds(s).
He left in his wake Penang’s Sriven Tan who clocked 1:43.34s to take the silver while M. Sivanesh of Negeri Sembilan did 1:46:09s to settle for bronze.
Met after the race, Muhammad Fakhrul, 20, said that his second attempt in the event was worth it as he successfully converted his bronze medal to gold in the Sukma this time.
“I competed in this event for the first time at the last Sukma and faced quite a lot of difficulty so much so I even vomited.
“So I managed to redeem myself by winning the gold in this edition as well as achieving my personal best (time) and I feel grateful for that,” he told Bernama.
Having shined in the event, he hopes to represent the country in the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games.
Meanwhile, the Perlis contingent’s wait for their first gold medal in this Games was answered when Kamal Farhan Rahman topped the men’s discus throw.
Kamal Farhan who was making his Sukma debut, threw a distance of 48.08 metres (m) and was unable to be matched by Sarawak’s Jonah Chang Anak Rigan (43.82m) who had to contend with silver while the bronze was won by Tan Jing Cheng of Johor (41.25m). — Bernama
