Kontinjen olahraga Malaysia memastikan Lagu Negaraku berkumandang buat kali kedua sempena Sukan SEA Hanoi di Stadium Nasional My Dinh, sebentar tadi.
Jackie Wong memadam kekecewaan gagal mempertahankan pingat emas baling tukul besi lelaki dalam temasya Manila 2019 apabila kejuaraannya diragut pencabar dari Thailand, Kittipong Boonmawan.
Kejuaraan sering bertukar tangan di antara mereka sejak dua edisi lalu dan dalam pertemuan tadi, atlet Sarawak itu mendahului dari awal saingan tetapi balingan terakhir, 64.54m, berjaya melonjakkan Kittipong ke tangga teratas.
Tetapi Jackie menyahut cabaran itu dengan aksi yang lebih baik lagi untuk melakar 66.49m.
Ia secara tidak langsung menambah koleksi emas yang ke-13 negara dalam temasya kali ini.
"Saya yakin, saya rasa ada baki 20 saat lagi untuk bersedia melakukan balingan dalam seminit yang diperuntukkan.
"Saya agak gementar tetapi bersyukur dan akhirnya saya dapat menenangkan diri untuk melakukan balingan terbaik.
"Dua minggu lalu, apabila acara ini dibatalkan dalam Sukan SEA (kerana kekurangan peserta), fikiran saya agak terganggu.
"Selepas dua-tiga tahun menunggu (untuk bertanding) selain COVID-19 yang menghalang saya untuk berlatih (beberapa bulan), tengkuk saya terkena balingan tukul besi.
"Saya dimasukkan ke wad hingga tidak dapat berlatih kerana mudah berasa pening," katanya.
Sementara itu, tanpa diberikan harapan seorang lagi atlet baling tukul besi negara, Sadat Marzuqi Ajisan membawa pulang gangsa.
Tanpa menghiraukan tumpuan yang diberikan kepada Jackie, dia membaling sejauh 58.86m untuk turut sama naik ke podium.
Shaiful Shamsudin
Sat May 14 2022


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