Sabah reigned supreme on the penultimate day of the 22nd Malaysia Deaf Games (SOPMA XXII), dominating the final day of athletics competition to emerge as overall champion in track and field with a haul of11 gold medals after three days of action.
A total of 16 gold medals were contested today â12 in athletics, two in tenpin bowling, andtwo in orienteeringâ with Sabahâs athletes producing another inspired display to underline their reputation as the countryâs powerhouse in Deaf athletics.
Sabahâs golden charge on the track was spearheaded by Ali Uwais Redzuan, who clinched the menâs 400m gold in 52.00s, with teammate Aidil Asyraff Juakim taking silver (53.16s), completing a 1â2 finish for the Borneo state.
The Sabah quartet continued their dominance in the menâs 4x400m relay, capturing gold in a record time of 3:32.79s, ahead of Perlis and Penang. They also stormed to victory in the womenâs 4x400m relay, with Kedah and Terengganu claiming silver and bronze respectively.
Sabahâs mixed 4x100m team (2 men + 2 women) added another glittering gold with a swift 49.50s performance, while Johor denied them a clean sweep by winning the mixed 4x400m relay in 4:14.94s, with Sabah settling for silver.
Field athlete Elviensoon Tiono Tinus added to Sabahâs tally with a record-breaking throw of 31.43m to win the menâs discus event, reaffirming Sabahâs all-round strength across disciplines.
Meanwhile, in the womenâs 400m, Teo Jie Hui of Johor sprinted to victory in record time (69.66s) while Melakaâs Maria Melisa Mohd Mohtiar secured the stateâs second gold with an 8.34m effort in the womenâs shot put.
The menâs events also saw Perlis jumper Zaiman Megat Abu dominate the horizontal jumps, clinching gold in both the long jump (6.99m) and triple jump (14.82m) â the latter a new SOPMA record, breaking his own mark from the previous Games in Kuala Lumpur. Zaiman, now a two-time national Deaf Games champion, is expected to lead Malaysiaâs hopes at next monthâs Deaflympics in Tokyo.
In the sprint events, Federal Territory secured a golden double in the 200m races. Muhammad Zamir Azman clocked 22.89s to win the menâs event, while Nur Andrina Zainudin of Kedah blazed to 27.94s to claim gold in the womenâs category, setting new SOPMA records in both.
âIâm thrilled to finally win gold in the 200m after taking the 100m earlier. I just focused on doing my best for myself and my team,â said Andrina, smiling after her record-breaking run.
In orienteering, Muhammad Danial of Johor delivered a strong performance to take gold in the menâs middle-distance event, while Nurshafiza delighted home fans by claiming gold for Sarawak in the womenâs middle-distance category â an impressive improvement after her bronze medal finish yesterday.
After three days of competition, Sabah top the athletics medal standings with 11 gold medals, followed by Perlis (4), Kedah (3), Melaka (3), Johor (2), Federal Territory (2), Sarawak (2), and Selangor (1).
Competition concludes tomorrow (Monday, 6 October) with 11 gold medalsto be decided â four in tenpin bowling, five in badminton, and two in futsal â as SOPMA XXII draws to a close after six days of competition.
SOPMA XXII Sarawak 2025 brings together more than 800 athletes, officials, and volunteers from across the nation, competing in five core sports â athletics, badminton, futsal, tenpin bowling, and orienteering.
