WITH a week to go before the 20th Sukma (Malaysia Games) 2022 ends, the Penang athletes are firing on all cylinders as the medal chase hots up in Kuala Lumpur.
The Penang gymnastics team stole the show, sweeping 9 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals to emerge the overall champions after three days of fierce competition.
The star of the team was undoubtedly Ng Chun Chen, who captured three golds today to bring his gold medal tally to five.
Chun Chen, competing in his last Sukma before being overaged, was simply unstoppable in the floor exercise, rings and parallel bars, adding these three golds to the men’s individual all-round competition and team gold medal a day earlier.
He also took the silver the in the horizontal bar and pommel horse and a bronze in the vault.
“This is my last Sukma appearance and I wanted to sign off with a memorable ending. I am just overwhelmed to win five golds. I could not ask for more. I want to dedicate them to all who have always supported me, such as my family, godmother, coach, teammates and friends,” said Chun Chen.
Another rising star is Zarith Imaan Khalid, who won three of the four gold medals in the women’s apparatus.
The 19-year-old won the gold in the balance beam (12.367 points), floor exercise (12.1000 points) and uneven bars (12.1330 points), and managed a bronze in the vault (11.3335 points).
Her poise, balance, artistic skills and confidence also caught the eye of the country’s top artistic gymnast Farah Ann Hadi, who could only sing praises of Zarith.
“I am honoured to have received praise from her, but I still have a long way to go.
“Farah is an Olympian and I hope to get advice from her to ensure that I can do well at the international level.
“I am thankful to compete and although I am not at my best, I can still produce good results.
“Initially, I was worried that I couldn’t perform as I had hurt my legs on the first day of the Games. Fortunately, I am able to achieve the result,” she said.
There was also plenty of joy in the Penang camp at the Sunway Pyramid when the men’s trio of Muhammad Hariz Adlan Azman, Megat Zaqrul Haiqal Megat Zairudin and Shafiy Zaim Noor Azam came out tops.
They took the gold medal with a score of 3,671, a mere four pinfalls better than second-placed Federal Territory (Matthew Ong, Ahmad Azriq Izamudin and Hamzah Alihanafiah) and six pinfalls ahead of third-placed Sarawak (Abner Loo, Musayyar Khalid and Abang Afiq Yazid Abang Azman).
The gold medal thus fulfilled Muhammad Hariz’s dream after he had won a bronze medal in the men’s individual event on Sunday.
Over to Subang Shooting Range, the Penang women’s 50m air rifle team managed to win a bronze medal.
The Penang team, comprising Siti Zulaika Haira Rosman, Nur Sumayyah Dzulkifli and Shaveena Mei Vejayan, finished third with 1,731 points behind Sarawak (1,741) and Negeri Sembilan (1,744).
Meanwhile, at the Nilai National Velodrome, 19-year-old Penangite Nurul Aliana Syafika Azizan ended Penang’s long wait for a medal in track cycling with a silver in the women’s individual sprint.
Nurul Aliana, who hails from Butterworth, finished behind national teammate Nurul Izzah Izzati from Kedah but was ahead of Yong Ann Yii from Selangor, who finished third.
“It is a motivation for me and I hope to do well in the next 500m sprinting and keirin events,” said Nurul Aliana, who was proud to have delivered the medal for Penang in track cycling since Sukma 2006.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad