PUTRAJAYA: Sabah Shooting Association (SSA) member Jeson Yong emerged second in the Production Optics division of the inaugural IPSC Handgun 1st Extreme Challenge 2026, competing against shooters from some of the country’s elite security units.
The 42-year-old Director of Safety and Security at Sutera Harbour Resort finished between Royal Malaysia Police’s Special Actions Unit (UTK) shooter Zainal Azam Zinol Abidin, who took first place, and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency’s Special Task and Rescue (STAR) Team shooter Syuzefril Mat Noor in third.
The competition also featured shooters from the Royal Malaysia Police’s 69 Commando (VAT 69), the Malaysian Army’s Special Service Group (GGK) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s Special Air Service (PASKAU).
Competing as an individual, Jeson scored 1,434.4161 points, or 95.60 per cent, to finish second among 23 shooters in the Production Optics division.
Zainal topped the division with 1,500.4974 points, while Syuzefril recorded 1,391.8136 points.
“I was happy and did not expect to finish second because I was competing against elite security units such as UTK, VAT 69, GGK, PASKAU, STAR Team APMM and others,” Jeson said.
The achievement came in a demanding format which required competitors to complete all 16 stages in a single day, with only about 40 minutes of rest.
Jeson said the relentless pace tested both physical endurance and mental concentration, with little room for error.
“It required both mental and physical strength because of the pressure of having to complete 16 stages in one day.
“The pace was fast and even a small mistake could cause your ranking to drop,” he said.
His runner-up finish also came despite limited opportunities to prepare for the competition.
Jeson said work commitments restricted his training to weekends, while the lack of suitable facilities for International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) training at SSA added to the challenge.
“Training was only possible on weekends because of my work commitments, and training was quite difficult because the facilities were not suitable.
“But fortunately, things still went my way,” he said.
Jeson also shared in another victory when APMM ORCA emerged champion in the Production Optics team event with a combined 4,118.9376 points.
The team comprised Jeson, Syuzefril, Mohd Rokimi Basri Md Yusoff and Jackly Ukong.
PO PDRM 3 finished second in the team event with 4,024.9771 points, while SF Optic took third with 3,604.3705 points.
Jeson has been active in IPSC since 2010, although he stepped away from competition between 2016 and 2022.
He returned to competitive shooting in 2023 and has remained active since.
The Extreme Challenge, held at Shapadu Shooting Range, Putrajaya, from Sept 25-27, was organised by Bukit Aman’s Special Actions Unit (UTK) in collaboration with the Shapadu Target Shooting Club.
About 230 participants took part in the event, which Jeson said was the first Extreme Challenge of its kind held in Malaysia.
Jeson now hopes to carry his momentum into two upcoming competitions — the VAT 69 Open and GGK Open — as he pursues qualification to represent Malaysia at the IPSC Australasia Level IV championship in Bali in 2027.
“I hope to maintain the momentum in the remaining two IPSC competitions and qualify to represent Malaysia at the Australasia in Bali,” he said.
Jeson was also scheduled to compete in the Man vs Man event on Sunday, the final day of the competition.