SEA Games: Malaysian boxer Khir wants at least a silver
Published on: Saturday, December 07, 2019
By: Bernama
Azmi Khir Akyazlan (left) lands a blow on Myammar’s Tun Ye Lin.
MANILA: National boxer Khir Akyazlan Azmi is far from satisfied although he is already assured of at least a bronze in boxing at the 30th SEA Games here.After qualifying for the semi-finals of the new category of under-81kg light heavyweight, he is determined to go one step further and win at least the silver.
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The Kelantan-born boxer had featured in the under-64kg light welterweight in 2011 (Jakarta-Palembang), 2013 (Nay Pyi Taw), 2015 (Singapore) and 2017 (Kuala Lumpur) before switching to the under-81kg category.
In his four previous outings, he won a bronze in 2011 and 2013 but finished empty-handed in the next two editions.
“I feel I have luck in this new category. I would like to thank the association, my coach and manager for giving me the opportunity to prove that I can do better in this category,” he said.
“I want to try and change the colour of the medal because in Singapore I promised the association silver or gold but lost. This time I want to prove that I can bring back silver or gold in this new category,” he told reporters.
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Khir Akyazlan, 28, made it to the last four after beating Myanmar’s Tun Ye Lin 5-0 in the quarter-finals at the Philippine International Convention Centre here, Thursday.
He will meet Thailand’s Anavat Thongkrathok in the semi-finals on Sunday.
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Earlier, two other national boxers, Jemis Wong Lee Onn in the under-52kg flyweight and Arfiqanie Ahmad Anshori in the under-60kg lightweight, were knocked out by their opponents.
Meanwhile, former men’s artistic gymnastics whiz, Ng Shu Wai, is on course to repeating SEA Games success as a coach.
The 2004 Olympian made his SEA Games competitive debut in the Kuala Lumpur edition in 2001, claiming two gold and two silver medals, then enjoyed better success at the 2005 SEA Games competition here—at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum—with a medal haul of three golds and a silver.
Afterwards, the 34-year-old competed in the Athens Olympics and brought home the silver from the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games in 2006.
After retiring in 2007, and subsequently inducted into the Olympic Council of Malaysia Hall of Fame in 2012, Ng returned to the national set up as coach in late 2015, assisting Russian coach, Natalia Sinkova.
His first test as coach was the SEA Games in Malaysia two years ago where the artistic gymnastics team won five gold, four silver and two bronze medals.
In the midst of a coaching session at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum recently, he said: “So, I am now doing one circle again for myself. I feel very excited and it’s a very good memory for me. I am very proud to bring our gymnasts here to win medals at the same place.
“When you are an athlete, you feel like the coach’s job is easy, but now when I stand behind them, I feel: ‘Wow, coaches do a lot of things’. You need to prepare everything for them—physically and mentally.”Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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