IPOH, Nov 25 — National para sprinter, Muhamad Afiq Mohamad Ali Hanafiah’s attempt to break the national record of 11.20s at the 2018 Para Malaysia Games (Para Sukma) in Perak today was still not good enough.

The 24-year-old runner said even though he succeeded in claiming the gold medal and setting a games record in the 100 metres T12 (Visual Impairment), it was not still not acceptable to him. 

The athlete from Kota Tinggi, Johor collected a gold medal in 11.40 seconds leaving Muhammad Norhelmi Mohd Rabi of Kuala Lumpur to take the silver (12.13s) and Mohd Aizam Akmar Mohd Razali of Kedah to collect the bronze medal (13.73s).

“Disappointed because I want to smash the national record at the Para Asian Games in Jakarta but failed so I hope to do it here but was unsuccessful again.

“Maybe it was due to the insufficient training,” he told reporters when met at Perak Stadium here today. 

The best time by Muhamad Afiq in the event is 11.20s which is the current national he recorded in the heats of the Commonwealth Games Para-Sport in Gold Coast, Australia in April which shattered the 11.27s national record held by Mohammad Faizal Aideal Suhaimi.

In this regard, another athlete, Mohd Sobri Ghazali rewrote the national record with a time of 13.79s in the men’s 100m T35 (Cerebral Palsy- Standing).

Mohd Sobri, 38, who is a rubber tapper from Sik, Kedah said his target at the championship was to clinch three gold medals.

“Thank God, I have defended the medial I won two years ago and I hope to maintain my momentum in Para Sukma to added another gold medal.

“In the Sarawak edition, I brought home two gold medals in the 100m and 200m and this time I am competing in 100m, 200m and 400m and hope to win all the events,” he said.          

In the 100m T35 event, the silver medal went to Mohd Alif Malek of Perlis (14.8s) and the bronze medal was won by Muhammad Naqid Naquiddin Mohd Ajimin of Kelantan (16.11s).

Today there were 37 gold medals up for grabs in athletics with 15 for 100m sprint, javelin(14), long jump (five),  800m (2) and one for high jump. — Bernama