Md Yazid Yatimi Yusof's hurled
the iron plate 42.87m to win
men's discuss throw gold medal
at Malaysia Games (Sukma) in
Melaka last night.
Picture: Bernama
Shrugging off a lingering knee injury, Md Yazid Yatimi Yusof ended Brunei's wait to taste the air at the top of the podium at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Melaka when he won the men's discus throw event in convincing style last night.
It was his second medal in as many days after finishing third in the men's shot put on Tuesday. Brunei's seventh medal, they now have one gold and six bronze medals to show for a week into the 10-day competition.
The 23-year-old recorded his best throw of 42.87m in his fourth attempt at the Utama Stadium, Hang Jebat Complex, forcing Federal Territories' Fairus Hakim Zainal into second place with 38.62m. Champion of the shot put event the day before, Terengganu's Adi Aliffuddin Hussin found his role reversed with Md Yazid when he finished third with 38.40m last night.
Not only was Md Yazid the only contestant to throw over 40m, the two-time Southeast Asian (SEA) Games representative did it in all six of his attempts. Combined with the injury which he picked up while competing in the National Sports Festival (PSK) in June 2008, last night's medals should make the victory all the more sweeter. Tuesday's medal in the shot put was the first since he finished on the podium at the 2007 SEA Games in Korat, Thailand.
Last night's victory should not come as a surprise as he won bronze in the 2007 SEA Games in Korat, Thailand, in the same event. Though he did not finish on the podium at last year's SEA Games in Vientiane, Laos, he made it a trip to remember when he set a new personal record. His throw of 43.29m was just centimetres off the national record of 43.69m, and his attempt was an improvement on the 41.82m he posted to win the bronze in Thailand.
Last night's result means the Sultanate inches closer to improving on their best ever Sukma performance in Negri Sembilan in 2004, when the country bagged one gold, five silver and five bronze medals.
With this in mind, the celebrations and pats on the back will take a temporary break as the country's athletes focus on not only breaking that record, but also making up the numbers.
The chief secretariat to the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Melaka aimed for a haul of 13 medals from the 67 athletes, and with three days to go, the Sultanate need six more.
The country is competing in 13 sports during the June 10-19 tournament and prior to leaving Hj Md Rosfazilah Hj Yusly said that Brunei has the potential to get a medal in each sport.
"Now it is up to the athletes, who have undergone a month-long intensive training programme to prepare for the Games, to deliver," said Hj Md Rosfazilah at the Brunei International Airport in Berakas last Monday.
It took Brunei three days to get on the medal tally, but once they started last Saturday, they were off with a bang — winning a medal everyday since then.
Though sports like wushu have not delivered a medal and have no hope of doing so since the competition is already over, karate and pencak silat have helped compensate by winning two medals each.
Md Yazid won Brunei's sixth medal when the shot put specialist bagged the bronze medal with a throw of 13.61m in the mens event on Tuesday.
It wasn't near his personal best of 14.28m when he recorded when he won bronze during the 2007 SEA Games but his performance can be excused because of his injury.
Karate exponent Mohd Nabil Abd Malik won Brunei s first medal in Melaka when he was awarded joint bronze with Selangor's Poovanesvaran Kanesan in the men's below 75kg kumite last Saturday.
It is a hat-trick for the 22-year-old after he finished on the podium in 2006 and 2008, though it was in the below 70kg category in both instances.
Ampuan Nur Haziqah Hasyimah Ampuan won karate Brunei's second bronze medal after finishing third in the women's below 68kg Kumite event the next day, finishing joint third with Sabahs Zyen Faiezane Dullie Marie.
Md Azril Mohd Ali and Nurul Amal Maziah Ibrahim Noor finished third in their pencak silat Class A (45-50kg) categories on Monday after losing their respective semi-final matches, and the constantly improving national cycling team finished with bronze in the 168.5km team road race on the same day to hand Brunei three more bronze medals.
Brunei finished on the podium only twice during Sukma 2008 in Terengganu, both of the bronze medals coming from karate.
Brunei are competing in athletics, aquatics, badminton, bowling, cycling, fencing, karate, petanque, sepak takraw, silat, squash, tennis and wushu.
Brunei has sent a contingent of 67 athletes, 16 coaches, five managers, 14 officials and two technical officers led by chef de mission Hj Rosmadee Hj Md Daud.
Federal Territories currently lead the tournament with 37 gold, 33 silver and 33 bronze medals.
Terengganu have moved up to second with 34 gold, 16 silver and 28 bronze medals while Selangor round off the top three with 31 gold, 29 silver and 33 bronze medals.
Courtesy from Brunei Times
