PHNOM PENH: Luck was obviously not on the side of national jujitsu exponent Soo Yan Wei when he narrowly missed getting his first 2023 SEA Games medal in the NE-Waza-Nogi men’s under 69 kilogrammes (kg) event here today.
Despite putting up a commendable display in the bronze medal match at Hall B, Chroy Changvar Convention Centre, Yan Wei, better known as Damon, was denied the medal as the referee felt that his Thai opponent Kunnapong Hasdee had put in more effort to gain points in the bout which ended with a 0-0 score.
National coach Lim Fang Han tried to protest to the referees panel but they stuck to the decision that Hasdee was more deserving of the bronze.
Damon refused to dwell too much on the referee’s decision and instead felt sorry for not seizing the opportunity against Hasdee.
“I think the Thai athlete is good. It was a closely fought match but he just had a slight advantage over me. I should have done more against him, especially when trying to overturn my opponent when I was at the bottom,” he told Bernama.
Damon had lost 0-2 to Dinh Tung Dang of Vietnam in the semi-finals earlier.
Damon said he had improved in Cambodia following his early exit in Manila 2019.
He believed his participation here would prepare him for the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, this September.
Team manager Sharizal Md Sidek was resigned to accepting the referee’s decision as judging in a combat sport like jujitsu is subjective.
Sharizal said he was still proud of the performances of Damon and another national exponent, Adam Akasyah, who grabbed bronze in NE-Waza-Gi men’s under 69 kg.
He hoped the jujitsu camp would come up with a better strategy for future tournaments, including the 2022 Asian Games.
Yesterday, Adam, who won silver in Hanoi 2021, defeated the Philippines’ Michael Bryan Tiu 4-2 to take bronze, repeating his achievement in Manila 2019 where he was making his SEA Games debut. - Bernama