Day 8 of the Deaflympics Tokyo 2025 delivered another shining performance for the Malaysian contingent as the women’s doubles bowling pair Nor Misha Nathera Mackery and Huwainaa Danduan Abdullah delivered the silver medal, while distance runner Azlan Kuste rewrote his personal record once again in the 800m.
A dramatic turn of events on the track also saw the men’s 4x400m relay team earning a place in the final, ensuring Malaysia remains firmly in the medal hunt.
Malaysia claimed the lane this morning this morning as Nor Misha and Huwainaa combined brilliantly to finish with a well-deserved silver medal, outperforming expectations in a tightly contested field.
Their spirited run ended in the semifinals against Korea’s Lee Chanmi–Heo Seonsil, going down 0–2 with scores of 175–203 and 180–208, but not without giving the Korean pair a determined fight.
National coach Joe Tey hailed the duo’s progress as a major step forward. “Both Nor Misha and Huwainaa have improved by leaps and bounds and are maturing into accomplished bowlers. This result in Tokyo will certainly boost their confidence and strengthen their mental toughness. They handled the pressure very well,” said Joe.
Even better news awaits: Malaysia is poised for more podium action in the days ahead. “We have real medal shots in the men’s team, mixed team, and women’s team events. The men’s team, especially, has a strong chance for gold,” Joe added.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s middle-distance ace Azlan Kuste continued his fine form, smashing his own national Deaflympics record of 1:59.40 set just yesterday, but still failed to make the cut into the finals. The Sabahan athlete clocked 1 min 58.75s, bettering his time once again as he builds momentum ahead of the 5,000m final on 24 November.
In one of the most dramatic turns of the day inside the Komazawa Metropolitan Stadium, Malaysia’s men’s 4x400m team earned their spot in the finals, thanks to a twist in the qualification storyline.
Muhammad Zumar Azman, Muhammad Shahrul Azmer Azman, Azlan Kuste, and SEA Deaf Games sprint star Muhammad Zamir Azman recorded 3min 33.94, placing third in Heat 2 and initially fifth overall. But with two teams disqualified and another DNFs, Malaysia seized the second-chance lifeline and advanced to the final.
