Malaysia on track for best ever SEA Games finish

Malaysian athletes are preparing a larger than expected gift for the nation's 60th birthday on Thursday but how much bigger will only be answered a day earlier when the 29th SEA Games draws to a close.

With two days of competition left to their most successful SEA Games, Malaysia have claimed their 100th gold medal, in all possibility the only country to strike a century in this Games, as they steamrolled towards their target of 111 and more in sight before the day is over from diving and track cycling.

Malaysian keirin world champion Azizulhasni Awang and Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom are through to the men's individual sprint semifinals and so are Fatehah Mustapa and Farina Shawati Mohd Adnan in the women's sprint semifinals where gold will be decided in the two races tonight.

Another two more gold from squash are assured from the all-Malaysian men's and women's singles finals also scheduled tonight.

By late afternoon, a brilliant finish in rhythmic gymnastics gave Malaysia five more solid gold to raise their overall tally to 101, leaving far behind Thailand with 57, Vietnam 53, Singapore 48, Indonesia 31, the Philippines 23, Myanmar seven, Laos two and Cambodia one.

Tiny Timor Leste with 50 athletes finally gained a medal - a bronze from Sonia Martins Soares in taekwondo kyorugi women's under 46kg. With this, none of the 11 participating countries will go home empty-handed.

As the Games braces for a monstrous day tomorrow with the highest number of 60 gold at stake, long queues snaked outside the Shah Alam Stadium to snap up tickets for men's football gold battle between Malaysia and Thailand set for kick-off at 8.45pm the same night.

As expected, Malaysia dominated rhythmic gymnastics completely to sweep all eight gold. Koi Sie Yan, Amy Kwan Dict Weng and Izzah Amzan took turns to dominate all four individual apparatus as expected before the national team wrapped up the group mixed apparatus with gold.

Kwan clinched the country's 100th gold in the ribbon and also taking the hoop silver while Izzah Amzan finished tops in the ball and collected the club silver as well. Koi, individual all-around champion, packed away the club and hoop gold and silver in the ribbon and ball.

A beaming Kwan, 22, told reporters that the two gold medals (team event and ribbon apparatus) she had won were precious to her as she had to wait for a few years before she could finally perform for the country.

"This is my first SEA Games as a super senior gymnast. I had to bow out of the 2015 SEA Games due to injury. Thank you so much Malaysia, my family, coaches, MSN (National Sports Council) and ISN (National Sports Institute) for supporting me," said the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games bronze medallist.

In equestrian, Filipino Colin Syquia denied Malaysia a sweep in show jumping by dislodging previous champion Sharmini Christina Ratnasingham for the individual gold

Also, Malaysia are finally assured of a first gold from badminton as Soniia Cheah and Goh Jin Wei advanced into the women's singles final tomorrow while mixed doubles Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai have also qualified for the final and will know their opponents later today.

-- BERNAMA