Athletics set 5-gold target

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Athletics Association (SAA) have been set a five-gold medal target by Sabah Sports Council in the July Sukma Games in Kuching.SAA Secretary Francis Shim said for the contingent to better the three golds they won in the last Games in Perlis is a heavy task and they will need to put extra efforts to try to achieve that.

"Our target is three gold medals which is more realistic, but MSN required us to produce five golds.

So we will have to work harder for the extra two."

In Perlis, Sabah won three golds through Salesnella Gabi in the girls 3000m steeple chase and 5000m, and El Said Aziz in the boys triple jump.

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Only Salesnella will be able to defend her titles while El Said is no longer available for selection in this year's edition.

SEA Games bronze medallist Fathin Faqihah Mohd Yusuf is one of the several athletes that the association are pinning hope for gold.

The Tawau lass was among the 36 names released by SAA recently and she will be taking part in all the sprint events as well as anchoring the women 4x100m and 4x400m relays.

Another hopeful is JI Fedeliah Jaimin from Kota Marudu who narrowly missed out on heptatlon gold after suffering cramps in the final event of the competition and had to settle for silver.

As for the boys, newcomer Andre Anura who did 7.12m in the triple jump and won a silver medal in the just concluded SEA Youth Athletics Competition in Thailand will be one to watch, and also javelin thrower, Bryan Deron Dahreen who did 56.27m, Paul Kenneth Tay and Arthur Aron who both came 4th in the shot-put and the 400m hurdles in the last Sukma.

Francis said the association has drawn out a programme in preparation for the Games in late July.

"However, everything depends on the budget, but we will try to go for one or two competitions for exposure in West Malaysia this month.

"As for their training programmes, sprinters and throwers may get to train in Baguio, Philippines with former Asian silver medallist Lerma Gabito in the sprint event and Arniel Ferera in the throws.

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"The middle distance and long distance runners will train in Ranau with Mario Pajarillo while Marina Andreeva will train our multiple events athletes in Likas Stadium.

"The rest will train with their appointed coaches in their respective district before the final phase of centralised training."

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