Young race walkers in the championship at the City Stadium, George Town.
SPIRITS were high as 111 participants completed the final circuit of the Junior Walking Championship at the City Stadium in George Town, Penang.
It came on the heels of two previous circuits held on May 15 in MBSP Sports Complex, Bukit Mertajam, and on June 12 at SMK Seri Balik Pulau, Balik Pulau.
The participants in the final leg of the event, organised by Race Walkers Association of Malaysia (RWAM), were from 17 primary and secondary schools.
They competed across eight categories for boys and girls (Under-12, Under-15, Under-18), as well as men and women (Open category above 18 years).
Race distances of 2,000m, 3,000m and 5,000m were covered during the event.
The championship was supervised by SMK Seri Balik Pulau sports secretary Allan Lim Chew Ping and RWAM committee member Tan Chee Leong, in collaboration with the Penang Amateur Athletic Association.
The winner in the boys’ Under-12 category (2,000m) was Muhammad Rayyan Iskandar Mohamed Salmi with a time of 00:13:34 while Megha Sree Baskaran emerged victorious in the girls’ Under-12 category with a time of 00:11:31.
The winners in the girls’ Under-18 category of the Junior Walking Championship. — Courtesy photos
In the boys’ and girls’ Under-15 categories, Ahmad Amsyar Aminuddin Ahmad Firdaus won with a time of 00:29:09 in the 5,000m while Carlyn Loh took top spot in the 3,000m race with a time of 00:18:09.
The boys’ and girls’ Under-18 categories (5,000m) were won by Mohammad Aiman Haikal Sahrudin with a time of 00:25:46 and Putri Ayunni Mohd Pisol with a time of 00:33:37, respectively.
Presenting the prizes were Penang Sports Council coaching unit head officer Hamidi Lokman and Penang Education Department talent development unit (sports) assistant director Mohd Nazree Che Man.
“We hope to host more race walking events in Penang, especially for our junior walkers, to spur interest in the sport,” said Hamidi.
Mohd Nazree said Nestle Malaysia provided participants with Milo drinks, T-shirts and a chip timing system to ensure accurate race results.
RWAM’s next event, the 2nd Circuit Junior Development Programme (JDP), will be held on Aug 17 at Stadium MSN Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.
RWAM is the only association that focuses on developing professional race walking.
It has helped to churn out many race walkers such as Elena Goh (SEA Games gold medallist) and Muhammad Fakhrul Razi Jailani from the JDP.
For more information, visit www.racewalkermalaysia.com or the RWAM Facebook page.
