Muhd Sufizan bin Mohd Sofian with his bronze medal. PHOTO: INFOFOTO
Brunei Darussalam athlete Muhd Sufizan bin Mohd Sofian bagged bronze in the kumite individual male -67kg in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games at the World Trade Center in Pasig, Philippines yesterday.
His Royal Highness Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah, President of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council, attended the karate events.
The national exponent ensured that the country was represented on the podium after he emerged 3-2 winner against Indonesia’s Tebing Hutapea in the repechage round.
The karate team also ended the country’s three-day spell without a medal and earned the sport’s first medal in this year’s meet.
Muhd Sufizan began his campaign in the quarter-final with a narrow 8-7 defeat to Malaysia’s Muhamamd Arif Afifuddin Ab Malik.
Meanwhile, teammate Awangku Muhd Abdul Quddus bin Pengiran Haji Zainal missed out on bronze in the kumite individual male -60kg after he lost his repechage 2-10 to Laos’ Salanh Manisinh.
Awangku Muhd Abdul Quddus enjoyed a perfect start to his campaign after a 7-4 win over Cambodia’s Kouyhav Ly in the quarter-final.
However, the national exponent missed out on a gold medal match and moved to the repechage round after he fell to a 0-4 defeat to Indonesia’s Rifki Arrosyiid in the semi-final.
Meanwhile in the kumite individual female -55kg, Amirah Syahidah binti Abdul Rahim lost 10-3 to Philippines’ Mae Soriano.
The women’s kata team, which comprised Rodhyatul Adhwanna binti Bakar, Amirah Syahidah and Farhana Najeeha binti Abdul Rahman, accumulated a total of 22.48 points in Pool ‘A’.
The score placed them in the repechage round where they lost to the Philippines after they tallied 22.68 points with their opponent taking joint bronze with 24.0 points.
The country’s overall medal count currently stands in one gold, five silver and six bronze.
Brunei is assured of at least a silver medal today with the polo team taking on Malaysia in the final of the 0-2 low goal event.
