A job well done: Malaysia’s karate team posing with their medals at the Chroy Changvar Convention Centre. — GLENN GUAN/The Star
AND now for the Asian Games mission.
After conquering the SEA Games stage, the national karate exponents will focus on doing well at Asiad in Hangzhou in September.
Optimism is high in the kumite team, especially after the exponents fought their way to four gold medals at the just concluded SEA Games competition in Phnom Penh.
C. Shahmalarani (women’s below 50kg), H. Sureeya Sankar (men’s below 60kg) and Prem Kumar (men’s below 55kg) became two-time SEA Games champions in their respective weight categories in Phnom Penh.
Veteran fighter R. Sharmendran showed he has not lost his sting with a fourth straight triumph in the men’s below 75kg category.
Malaysia could have returned with a fifth gold from the men’s team but the exponents paid the price for celebrating too early and allowed Vietnam to snatch victory.
The build-up to the Asian Games challenge started when Egyptian coach Tamer Mourssy was brought early this year to toughen up the exponents with aggressive fighting techniques.
Mourssy will be backed by fellow local coaches R. Puvaneswaran, L. Kunasilan and Senthil Kumaran in the bid to ensure Malaysia have medal contenders in all the kumite weight categories at the Asian Games.
They will be raring to end a nine-year wait for a gold medal in Asiad.
The last time Malaysia claimed gold at the Asian Games was in Incheon in 2014 when Lim Chee Wei took the men’s individual kata title and Syakilla Salni Jefry Krisnan won the women’s kumite below 61kg event.
Prem, who won a bronze in the men’s kumite below 55kg category at the last Asiad, hopes to do better.
“I will continue to train intensively after this as the Asian Games is my next focus. I hope I can do better than what I managed in my debut at the last Asian Games,” said Prem.
Sureeya, 21, has also set his eyes on a strong Asian Games debut.
“Hopefully, I will get into the Asian Games team after this and will compete in the same weight category that I fought in the SEA Games.
“There is still work that needs to be done but I am slowly getting there,” said Sureeya.
Asian Games karate will see a total of 14 events contested in Hangzhou, including the team kata for the first time.
