* Malaysia also win the bronze in men’s high jump
Defending champion Nauraj Singh Randhawa retained his gold medal while a debutant took the bronze as Malaysia’ continued their supremacy and rich tradition in the men’s high jump continued in the SEA Games.
Rookie Ashraf Saipu Rahmat cleared 2.11m to win the bronze at the National Stadium but Nauraj was “very lucky” in his own words to have retained the gold on a countback with a height of 2.13m after both he and Vietnam’s Dao Van Thuy failed to clear 2.15m.
“Defending the gold and an injured foot put pressure on me. I am very lucky to have retained the gold medal,” said Nauraj, who hails from Johor Bahru.
But for now it does not matter how the medal was won.
Nauraj has a personal best of 2.22m and he won the gold at the Wunna Theikdi Sports Stadium in Nay Pyi Taw with a height of 2.17m.
Malaysia’s second gold of the day at the National Stadium came from Irfan Shamsuddin who retained the discus gold medal with a distance of 56.62m – which came with a tinge of sadness because the Malaysian failed to break James Wong’s long standing record of 59.50m which the Singaporean set in 1999.
Irfan holds the Malaysian national record of 58.04m.
Malaysia also won a bronze medal through Rayzam Shah Wan Sofian in the men’s 11m hurldes in 13.97 and in the women’s 4x400m relay (Nurul Faizah Asma, Fathin Faqihah Yusuf, Zaimah Afifah Zainuddin and Shereen Samson Vallabouy) in 3:39.10.
