Champs Sarawak Lead Standings With Six Golds On Opening Day

KANGAR: Defending champions Sarawak got their title defence off to a great start on the first day of the National Schools Athletics Championships (MSSM) at Stadium Utama here yesterday.

The Sarawak contingent bagged six golds, four silvers and a bronze to lead the medal standings. They are followed closely by neighbours Sabah in second place with a haul of 2-3-2 and Perak (2-2-3).

There were also three new records set on the first day of the 54th edition of the MSSM.

Noor Shahidatun Nadia Mohd Zuki of Kedah leapt a distance of 12.36m to set a new mark in the girls’ Under-18 triple jump event. It eclipsed the nine-year-old mark of 12.24m set by Sabah’s Mary J. Nakarans.

Mohd Aminuddin Mohd Ajmain of Johor and second-placed Mohd Amirul Ikmal Abd Rahim of Perak hurled the discus to a distance of 54.40m and 50.31m respectively in the boys’ Under-15 event to break the five-year-old record of 49.0m set by Sarawak’s Goh Ing Hui in 2007.

Meanwhile, there was joy and heartbreak for Fatini Husna Mohd Yusop.

The Perak lass broke the girls’ Under-12 80m hurdles record in the semi-finals, clocking 12.71 to erase the old time of 12.87 set by team-mate Nor Hazwani Abd Haris last year.

However, Fatini could only come in second in the final, clocking 13.38 behind Sabah’s Aziee Fazlia Francis (13.32).

A total of 18 gold medals will be up for grabs today.