APG 2023: M’sia strike it right in swimming, athletics for eight-gold haul

PHNOM PENH - The national contingent to the 2023 ASEAN Para Games (APG) hit pay dirt when they bagged eight gold medals, six silvers and three bronzes yesterday.

Six of the eight gold medals came from the pool as the national para swimmers enjoyed a splashing time at the Aquatics Centre in the Morodok Techo National Stadium, which also saw three of them setting new Games records.

The three swimmers who broke the Games records en route to striking gold were Mohd Adib Iqbal Abdullah in the men’s 100-metre (m) breaststroke SB14 (intellectual impairment) category; Carmen Lim (pix) in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB8 (physical impairment) category; and Muhammad Imaan Aiman Muhammad Redzuan in the men’s 50m backstroke S14 (intellectual impairment) category.

The other three swimming gold medals came courtesy of Abd Halim Mohammad, who delivered the goods in two events - men’s 100m breaststroke and 100m freestyle (physical impairment) - and Fraidden Dawan in the men’s 400m freestyle S10 (physical impairment).

The swimmers also contributed two silvers through Duran Yaspi Imam Basori in the men’s 50m backstroke S14 (intellectual impairment) and Rusdianto Rusmadi in the men’s 400m freestyle S8 (physical impairment) as Carmen Lim bagged a bronze in the women’s 100m freestyle S7-8 (physical impairment) category.

However, the national athletics squad, which is supposed to be a gold mine, could only deliver two golds, four silvers and two bronzes at the Morodok Techo National Stadium today.

The gold medals were delivered by Muhamad Ashraf Muhammad Haisham in the men’s 5,000m T46 (physical impairment) category and Nani Shahiera Zawawi in the women’s long jump T20 (intellectual impairment).

Malaysia, who bagged a silver medal in the men’s team badminton event and bronze in wheelchair basketball yesterday, have so far raked in eight golds, seven silvers and four bronzes to be placed fourth in the medal standings.

The Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) had set the national contingent a target of 33 golds, 51 silvers and 58 bronzes. - BERNAMA