JAKARTA, Sept 3 — After 14 days of competition, the 2018 Asian Games Jakarta-Palembang came to a close with a brilliant fireworks display at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium here last night.
The Malaysian contingent of 417 athletes headed by chef de mission Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi delivered seven gold, 13 silver and 16 bronze medals in the 18th Asian Games which exceeded the achievement of the 2014 edition in Incheon in which Malaysia claimed 5 gold, 14 silver and 14 bronze medals.
However the national 2018 Asiad medal haul was below the 9 gold, 18 silver and 14 bronze medals won in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games in China.
Defending champions China retained their domination as the Asian sports power since the 1982 edition in New Delhi, India when the country amassed 132 gold, 92 silver and 65 bronze medals, followed by Japan (75-56-74), South Korea (49-58-70) and hosts Indonesia in the fourth place with 31-24-43.
Five sports categorised in excellent performing group are tenpin bowling (two gold and two silver), track cycling (one gold, one silver and one bronze), squash (two gold, one silver and one bronze), sailing (one gold , one silver and three bronze) and sepak takraw (one gold and one silver), while the other sports were in the satisfactory and failed groups.
The sepak takraw squad should be commended for ending the 24-year gold medal drought in the men’s regu event since the 1994 edition in Hiroshima, Japan even though sepak takraw was dropped as a core sport by the National Sport Council.
The national men’s hockey squad should also be hailed for defeating Asian Games defending champions, India 7-6 in a penalty shootout after drawing 2-2 at full time in the semi-finals.
However their hopes of gaining an automatic slot to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were dashed when they lost 1-3 in a penalty shootout to Japan after both teams were tied 6-6 in the final.
Malaysian sailors stamped their class in the Asiad when two athletes, Khairulnizam Mohd Afendy and Nur Shazrin Mohamad Latif became the first two in the country to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics .
Apart from that, six national records were rewritten namely track cycling (one), archery (two) and swimming (three).
On the other hand, national karate exponent, Syakilla Salni Jefry Krisnan was a big letdown when she failed to defend her gold medal after being knocked out in the kumite under 55kg first round and raised the question whether the Olympic Council of Malaysia had made a wise decision in selecting her as the flag bearer in the opening ceremony.
The 2018 Asian Games will also be the final appearance for national squash queen, Datuk Nicol David who confirmed she would not be playing in the 2022 Hangzhou Games in China.
The Penang-born who made her Asian Games debut in the 1998 edition in Bangkok, Thailand has collected seven gold, one silver and one bronze medals in the Asiad which proved she is the all-time best athlete of the country.
Despite the achievements of athletes, the National Sports Council, the National Sports Institute and national sports associations will have to review the effectiveness of training especially in subjective sports such as silat, wushu, karate and taekwando.
“The involvement of B category athletes should also be tightened with emphasis on fitness and mental strength,” said Abdul Azim.
Until then, it is hello to 2022 Asian Games Hangzhou, China. — Bernama
