Sabah fail to defend overall champions title

KOTA KINABALU (Sept 27): Sabah fell short of retaining the Para Sukma overall champions title.
The state Para contingent fought on to bring as many gold on the Games’ penultimate day but had to settle with 62 golds, 42 silvers and 31 golds today.

The overall haul was good enough to cement Sabah a second place finish in the 21st edition of the national Para top-tier multi-sport games, regardless of the medal outcome from the lawn bowls competition tomorrow.

As of 6pm today, hosts Sarawak have collected an unassailable lead of 81 golds in addition to 51 silvers and 72 bronzes and secured the overall title for the 14th time.

Johor are holding on to third placing with 33 golds, 34 silvers and 29 bronzes.

Meanwhile, Sabah made up for missing out on the overall title by surpassing their gold target in the Para Sukma.

Chef de Mission Datuk Mansur Ansur revealed in a special interview with TV Sarawak yesterday that the state Para contingent was aiming for 59 golds in the Games.

And with 62 golds won, not only the target was achieved but it also bettered the state 54-gold haul when they won the overall title in Kuala Lumpur two years ago.

The bulk of golds were achieved by athletes who ended their campaign with four golds and one bronze today for their total haul of 36 golds, 17 silvers and 18 bronzes.

Jacklon Ganding and Heronlee Wong, who are already multiple gold winners in the Games, added two more to their collections by winning their individual events as well as part of the state 4x100m T35-T38 relay quartet.

Jacklon won the men’s long jump T37 after registering a distance of five metre while Heronlee completed a hattrick of gold in the throwing event by winning the men’s discus F37 gold with his effort of 32.51m.

The duo then teamed up with Mohd Nizamuddin Matahir and Nelson Sevilin to take the relay gold in 53.53s, edging Kedah (58.80s) and Perak (59.74s) who settled for the silver and bronze respectively.

Doriah Poulus also shone when she emerged as champion in the women’s discus F44/F64 category with her effort of 21.49m, thus collecting her third gold from the throwing event in the Games.

In table tennis, Tham Kah Fhong won the men’s wheelchair singles 4-5 event to take Sabah’s second gold from the sport.

Fredoline Modius as well as Charlie Fred Sagunting/Gladys Grace Didin too made the podium as they delivered the first archery and badminton golds on the final day of competition on Friday.

Fredoline took gold in the men’s individual Recurve while Charlie Fred and Gladys smashed their way to the mixed doubles SH6 gold.

Sabah also added seven silvers through Gladys in the women’s singles SH6 event; Arby Rodziary Ariffin, Yucaristia Gallilea Lee and Zulkarnain Malateh (Boccia mixed team BC1/BC2); Jaynie Jamirin and Charlie (mixed Recurve); Charlie and Fredoline (men’s Recurve doubles); and Azuan Amir Hassan, Muhammad Haiqal Azani Azman and Muhammad Azri Azman (tenpin bowling Trio TPB 1+2+3).

The bronzes were from Mariana Sandra Rodger (women’s discus F44/F64); Jaynie (women’s Recurve open); Charlie Fred (men’s singles SH6); Jerald Jaudy (men’s singles SSL3); Mohd Nazizul Hamzah and Halimatus Saadiah Madsah (table tennis standing mixed doubles XD18); and Jaynie and Suzillah Saunin (women’s Recurve doubles).

Another 10 golds will be up for grabs on the final day of the Games tomorrow. The closing ceremony will follow later in the day.