BIRMINGHAM: National young gymnast Ng Joe Ee had bucked the odds as she dazzled her way to deliver Malaysia’s fifth gold at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games through ball discipline, here, Saturday.
Debutant Joe Ee put on a delicate show in Arena Birmingham as she moved and caught the ball perfectly to wow the judges, scoring 29.700 points to achieve a gold medal target for the national rhythmic gymnastics camp in the Games.
Canada’s Suzanna Shahbazian had to settle for silver with 29.050 points while Anna Sokolova of Cyprus took bronze with 28.800 points.
The 16-year-old gymnast’s score in today’s finale was definitely higher than her qualification marks as she earned 28.600 points to finish second, on Thursday.
Meanwhile, another national gymnast Izzah Amzan failed to deliver a fine show in the hoop final, resulting in her ending the event in seventh out of eighth gymnasts after scoring 25.800 points.
Welsh gymnast, Gemma Natasha Frizelle was crowned the champion with 28.700 points while Anna Sokolova of Cyprus collected 28.300 points to get silver and Canada’s Carmel Kallemaa won bronze with 28.200 points.
Meanwhile, national diver Muhammad Syafiq Puteh is grateful that his mother’s (Masrinda Abu) prayers while performing the haj recently were answered when he managed to win silver with Gabriel Gilbert Daim in the men’s 3-metre (m) springboard synchronised final at Birmingham 2020.
“Thanks mum for praying for my success at the Commonwealth Games.”
He admitted that he never expected to contribute the first medal for the national diving camp at the quadrennial Games here after realising that their degree of difficulty was lower than that of their challengers.
“Of course, I am happy. Never expected to finish second and get on the podium this time. Alhamdulillah Allah SWT answered my mother’s prayer.
“I really can’t believe I got a medal. I met my mother a day before leaving for Birmingham. At that time, she had just returned from performing the haj,” a tearful Muhammad Syafiq told reporters after the medal presentation ceremony.
Meanwhile, Gabriel, 21, was lost for words when he found out that they had finished second.
