Sarikei-born Jonah throws over 60 ft to smash national record

KUCHING (July 1): Sarikei-born Jonah Chang Rigan has cemented his status as Malaysia’s top shot putter. He smashed his own national record of 17.67m at the Pahang Open in three successive attempts reaching 17.69, 18.09 and 18.46m (60ft 7in) at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan on May 18.

Jonah had owned the record since last October when he surpassed the previous national best of 17.54m set by Asi Alifuddin Hussin in 2011.

The 21-year-old Sarawakian has been making steady progress since moving up to the senior ranks. His latest performance is further proof of his emergence out of the shadow of long-time national champion Muhd Ziyad Zolkefli.

The 34-year-old Muhd Ziyad has been a medallist in the past four editions of the SEA Games. He was third with a personal best of 17.30m in the 2023 Games held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Jonah had finished just behind in fourth place with a distance of 16.67m in his SEA Games debut.

The stocky Sarawak strongman (weighing 105kg) is relatively short at 175cm (5ft 9in) among the big boys. Muhd Ziyad is 183cm (6ft) tall while Bill Morrison of the Philippines, who is the man to beat in Southeast Asia, stands at 193cm (6ft 4in). However, Jonah’s recent exploits shows he’s ready to take on the best in the region. He threw 17.10m a week before the Pahang Open  to finish second to Morrison (18.77m) among regional rivals in the Philippines Open.

Morrison’s personal best is a world-class distance of 20.40m. But the US-based naturalised Filipino is highly inconsistent. The SEA Games champion in 2019 and 2021 slipped to fifth behind Jonah in 2023. He has not thrown over 19m in the past four years. Jakkapat Noisri of Thailand won the event at the 2023 SEA Games with his personal best of 17.84m.

Jonah recently told reporters he was especially proud to become the first man in Malaysia to surpass the 18m barrier in the event. He is only the third man in Southeast Asia to do so after Morrison and Thailand’s Chatchawai Polyemg who was the first when he reached 18.20m in 2009.

Jonah is now eyeing a podium finish at the 2025 SEA Games to be held in Bangkok, Thailand. Meanwhile, the reigning Malaysia Games (Sukma) champion is still eligible by age to defend his title in this year’s Sukma. Host Sarawak cannot ask for a more certain gold medal in August than in the men’s shot put!