Kota Kinabalu: Sabah added 11 more gold medals on day four of the Para Sukma Games in Sarawak to reach a total of 55 in the medal tally with two more days to go.
However, they are falling further behind hosts Sarawak despite the figure having surpassed their 54 gold medals haul in 2022 that won them the overall title.
Sarawak, who finished second two years ago, has already accumulated 71 golds, 40 silvers and 60 bronzes at press time while Sabah are second with 55 golds, 37 silvers and 25 bronzes.
Track and field athletes once again delivered the most gold medals for the State contingent with seven and their 32 in total.
The gold medallists were Nazwan (men’s long jump T45), Jericho Hendryld Harry (men’s javelin F46), Adriansah Bagudan (men’s javelin F43/44/64), Sabaruddin Bacho (men’s shot put F35), Bartholomew Marius (men’s shot put F33), Shamli Waidi (men’s shot put F36) and Heronlee Wong (men’s javelin F37).
Three gold medals came from swimmers Wahyu Eqwal Nazrey (men’s 50m freestyle S4/S5 - national record 46.97s) and Shahafiq Abdullah (men’s 100m backstrokes S5/S6, 50m freestyle S6 - national record 33.18s), and one from table tennis player Brady Chin Zi Rong (men’s singles standing 9).
The silver medallists from track and field were Freddy Waldie (men’s discus F54), Jovita Joseph (women’s shot put F37), Samri Butak (men’s discus F55) and Rudy Benjamin (men’s javelin F37).
Three silver medals from swimming were through Wahyu Eqwal Nazrey (men’s 100m backstrokes S5/S6), Ethan Khoo Yin Jun (men’s 100m freestyle S14) and the men’s 4x100m medley relay (Louis Simun/Halim Mohammad/Shahafiq/Wahyu), while the other silvers were from archer Lidwina Isidore Andilah (women’s compound open), tenpin bowling men’s doubles (Azuan Amir Hassan/Muhd Azri Azman) and table tennis players Aliff Aldih (men’s singles standing 9), men’s wheelchair doubles (Ammrin Sari/Tham Kah Fhong) and Gujile Gandila (men’s singles standing 10).
Five bronze medals were also won on Thursday from Azim Sambilang (men’s javelin F44/F64), Muhd Khairi Military Lorin (men’s discus F54), Mercanny Mizan (women’s 600m T20), Shirley Jungin (women’s javelin F12/F13) and the first medal from Boccia by Siti Nurhidayah Abidin (women’s individual BC3).
