GOLD QUEST PICKS UP MOMENTUM WITH ARRIVAL OF NEW MONTH

The Malaysian gold trail picked up momentum with the arrival of the new month when the medal haul hit double figures for the second time when 10 gold medals were won on the fifth day of the 23rd Manila SEA Games today

Gymnastics led the way with three golds, followed by squash (2), swimming (2) and one each from triathlon, bowling and pencak silat while gymnastics (3), squash (1) and swimming (1) added to the silver medals tally

Eight bronze medals came from tenpin bowling (2) and one each from weightlifting, squash, gymnastics, swimming, pencak silat, cycling, The ten accumulated today raised the gold count to 34, still 21 short of the 55-gold target set by the Olympic Council of Malaysia

The 10 golds won by Malaysia were almost one-third of the 35 golds on offer today

Tomorrow, another 34 gold medals are put on offer in swimming (6), judo (4), pencak silat (4), shooting (3), traditional boat racing (3), volleyball (2), snooker (2), tenpin bowling (2), cycling (2), table tennis (2), weightlifting (2) and one each for triathlon and gymnastics

Malaysian athletes will again vie for medals in swimming, gymnastics, cycling, pencak silat, triathlon and weightlifting

National athletes will also feature in team events for squash, equestrian, football, golf, archery, lawn bowls and judo which are still in the preliminary stages

The 34 gold, 27 silver and 32 bronze medals total saw Malaysia maintain fourth place behind the Philippines (63), Vietnam (47) and Thailand (37) but ahead of Indonesia which have 24 and Singapore with 19

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said, who was present at various venues to provide moral support to the athletes, was happy with today's contribution

"The athletes are showing a lot of determination to win gold," she told Bernama at the squash final in Makati Sports Club here today

MEDAL WINNERS FOR TODAY GOLD 1. Daniel Lim, Aaron Kong, Zulmazran Zulkifli - Bowling (men's trio) 2. Nurul Fatiha Abdul Hamid - Gymnastics (uneven bar) 3. Kemberly Yap - Triathlon (women) 4. Mohd Nfizwan Adnan - Squash (men's individual) 5. Sharon Wee - Squash (women's individual) 6. Suzy Mohd Sulaiman - Pencak silat (women's seni) 7. Ng Shu Wai - Gymnastics (men's floor exercise) 8. Ng Shu Wai - Gymnastics (men's high bars) 9. Lim Keng Liat - Swimming (men's 100m backstroke) 10. Daniel Bego - Swimming (men's 100m butterfly) SILVER 1. Nurul Fatiha Abdul Hamid - Gymnastics (women's floor exercise) 2. Tricia Chuah - Squash (women's individual) 3. Ng Shu Wai - Gymnastics (men's vault) 4. Yap Kian Bun - Gymnastics (men's pommel horse) 5. Chui Lai Kwan - Swimming (women's 100m backstroke) BRONZE 1. Muhamad Hidayat Hamidon - Weightlifting (men's 69kg) 2. Timothy Arnold - Squash (men's individual) 3. Ooi Wei Siang - Gymnastics (men's high bars) 4. Lim Keng Liat - Swimming (men's 100m butterfly) 5. Marzuki Mokhtar, Mohd Fauze Latip, Hafiz Abu Hassan - Pencak silat (men's trio) 6. Azidi Ameran, Alex Liew and Ben Heng - Tenpin bowling (men's trio) 7. Wendy Chai, Esther Cheah and Zandra Aziela Ibrahim Hakimi - Tenpin bowling (women's trio) 8. Shahrulneeza Razali - Cycling (men's 39km)

Written by JAIARAJO LETCHUMANAN
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