Grace aims to accomplish two feats at Hanoi SEA Games

KUALA LUMPUR: National hammer throw ace Grace Wong Xiu Mei aims to accomplish two important missions at the South East Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, this May, to renew her own SEA Games record and winning the gold medal.

The national record holder pledged to erase the SEA Games record of 59.24 metres (m) that she set at the 2017 edition here by aiming for a 63 m throw at the biennial games on May 12 to 23.

"I am targeting the gold and 63 m at the SEA Games because 59.24 m is my record, and at my last SEA Games, (Manila 2019) I won silver after losing to the Thai athlete," she told Bernama after winning the hammer throw event with a record throw of 61.87 m at the 97th Malaysian Open Championship at the Malaysian Sports Council Mini Stadium, Bukit Jalil, today.

If the Sarawak-born athlete can successfully make a 63 m throw, she would also improve on her national record of 62.48 m that she set at the Malaysian Grand Prix Championship (GP) last year.

Grace conceded that she would have to overcome her nervousness when performing in Hanoi if she wanted to achieve success at the SEA Games.

Meanwhile at the championship today, the silver for the women's hammer throw was won by Nurul Hidayah Lukman of Selangor, who recorded a throw of 49.74 m, while Nurfazira Jalaludin from the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) won the bronze with a throw of 47.37m.

Meanwhile, national men's hammer throw champion, Jackie Wong Siew Cheer, representing MAF, lived up to expectations when he dominated with a throw of 68.13 m.

Jackie beat Negeri Sembilan thrower Sadat Marzuqi Ajisan, who recorded 58.57m to win the silver while Rizad Azri Che Radzi from Perlis took home the bronze with a 48.5 m throw.

-- BERNAMA