Asian Games: Irfan sports reserve gets a medal.

KUALA LUMPUR JUN 5, 2018 : National Irrigation Discus, Muhammad Irfan Samsuddin is the main hope of the Malaysian Sports Union (KOM) to donate medals at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.

National sports squad coach Zainal Abas said the national record holders could potentially contribute medals based on their excellent performance after renewing their personal record in several tournaments this year.

In addition, he said Seremban's teens were ranked third in the Asian continent in front of two Iranian athletes.

"If my medal expectation was to see Muhammad Irfan ... even if he did not repeat the same mistake at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games last April where his throw was canceled.

"He is currently in Europe for training sessions and competitions there, and if we look at the past two to three years, he has improved the national record," he said.

He said this when met by reporters after handing over the athlete's name list to the Asian Sports Selection Committee at the Malaysian Olympic Council, here today.

In the meantime, Zainal said seven athletes were placed in Category A (expenses incurred entirely) while the rest in category B of the association had to raise their money and would be repaid if athletes won at least bronze medals.

The seven athletes are Nauraj Singh Randhawa and Lee Hup Wei (high jump), Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Hakimi Ismail (jumping deer), Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli (female sprint), Luqman Hakim Ramlan (male jumper) and Norliyana Kamaruddin (female heptathlon) .

Athlete in category B is the national sprint king, Khairul Hafiz Jantan, Muhammad Rayzam Shah Wan Sofian (110m male) and male 4x100m quartet; Iskandar Alwi and Chuah Yu Tian (jump jump) as well as Jacky Wong Siew Cheer (male hammer).

At the same time, Zainal did not rule out the possibility of a change in the men's 4x100m quartet at the Asian Games after a prominent stunt featured two young runners Muhammad Haiqal Hanafi and Zulfiqar Ismail in several previous tournaments.

"We have four names from the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Nixson Kennedy, Jonathan Nyepa, Badrul Hisham Abdul Manap and Khairul Hafiz, but we see the current performance of athletes such as Muhammad Haiqal and Zulfiqar who are well-timed," Zainal said. - BERNAMA