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KUALA LUMPUR − South East Asia’s sprint king Muhammad Haiqal Hanafi will have to prove himself at the Malaysian Open Athletics Championships this weekend if he harbours any hope of defending the gold at the Hanoi SEA Games from May 12-23.
Haiqal won the 100m sprint at the 2019 Philippines SEA Games in 10.35 seconds while another Malaysian sprinter Khairul Hafiz took the gold at the Kuala Lumpur 2017 SEA Games.
Like Haiqal, Khairul Hafiz has yet to qualify for the Hanoi Games in Vietnam.
National athletics squad chief coach Mohd Manshahar Abdul Jalil said to date, 15 athletes have qualified under the A category, including three 100m sprinters, namely Russel Alexander Nasir Taib, Muhammad Zulfiqar Ismail and Muhammad Arsyad Md Saat.
He said the Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF) has set the Malaysian Open Championship − scheduled to take place at the National Sports Council Mini Stadium in Bukit Jalil here − as the last chance for athletes to qualify in addition to using it as a platform for MAF to assess athlete selection.
“Even though there are athletes, who have qualified, it is not final because we will decide based on the results of the Malaysian Open happening on March 5 and 6. Only the best athletes will be chosen to go to the SEA Games.
“So, the opportunity is still open for any athlete to grab a ticket to the SEA Games this year. I believe there are a few more athletes, who will qualify through the Malaysian Open, this time,” he said at the press conference of the SEA Games selection committee meeting at Wisma OCM yesterday.
At the same time, Manshahar said the Malaysian Open would also see fierce competition between four middle-distance athletes, who have each qualified in the 1500m event, to grab two slots to Hanoi.
The four athletes were last week’s Silver All-Comers 2022 Athletics Championship 1500m gold medallist K. Prabudass along with Ahmad Luth Hazmizan, M. Sanjay and Muhammad Amirul Arif Mohd Azri.
Meanwhile, MAF president Datuk S.M. Muthu said the parent body had set a target to bring home five gold medals from Hanoi thus equalling the national athletics squad’s achievements in the previous edition.
“Apart from the five golds, we also hope to be able to grab seven silvers and five bronzes. We hope the athletes can achieve the target,” he said.
In the 2019 edition, the national athletics squad managed to meet the target of five gold medals through Muhammad Haiqal, Lee Hup Wei (men’s high jump), Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin (men’s discus throw), Muhammad Hakimi Ismail (men’s triple jump) and Yap Sean Yee (women’s high jump). – Bernama, March 2, 2022