KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia have not won a medal in the men’s 20km walk in the past three SEA Games. Debutant Khor Jing Hong hopes to end the drought this time in Bangkok.
The last Malaysians to win medals in the men’s 20km walk were Lo Choon Sieng and Khairil Harith Harun, who earned silver and bronze respectively at the 2017 KL SEA Games.
Malaysian Games champion Jing Hong, who has been training under Choon Sieng in the last two years, said he hopes to end the medal drought in the walk event on Dec 14.
But the 20-year-old, who is majoring in applied geology at Universiti Malaya, admitted to a lack of participation in races this year.
“I competed in only three 20km events this year which is not enough to challenge the more experienced walkers.
“My coach had proposed for me to compete in five to six competitions this year in Germany as preparation for the SEA Games but it was not approved (by officials). I was also supposed to compete in a competition in Ranchi, India in October but my visa was rejected.
“There is always pressure to do well in the SEA Games. I will be up against an experienced field of walkers, including Hendro Yap of Indonesia who has won several SEA Games golds. But I aim to finish on the podium.”
Hendro will start as favourite after clocking an impressive one hour 29 minutes in the Asian Championships in Gumi, South Korea in May. Jing Hong has a personal best of one hour 31 minutes clocked at the Asian Race in Nomi City, Japan in March.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
