Connie bags gold, Jonathan wins silver in Kazakhstan

KUALA LUMPUR: National women's discus thrower Connie Chu Kang Ni bagged gold on the opening day of the Qasanov Memorial Athletics Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan yesterday.

The 27-year-old emerged victorious after heaving 43.65 metres (m) in her final attempt, while Uzbekistan's Yuliana Shukina (38.90m) and host Alina Vorontsova (36.78m) took the silver and bronze medals respectively.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Nyepa clinched silver in the men's 100m dash by clocking 10.64 seconds.

Vitaliy Zems of Kazakhstan won the blue ribbon event in 10.57s while Ildar Akhmadiev of Tajikistan finished third in 10.75s

In the men's 100m hurdles, Rayzam Shah Wan Sofian finished third among three participants, clocking 14.18s.

Home hurdlers, David Yefremov (13.66s) and Yevgeniy Prokudin (13.84s) finished first and second respectively.

Another two national athletes, Muhammad Ilham Suhaimi took fourth place in the men's 400m clocking 48.47s, while women's high jumper Yap Sean Yee placed fifth after clearing 1.80 m.

Team manager Datuk Wan Hisham Wan Salleh was happy with the athletes' performance, in overseas competition for first time after more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"After the protracted MCO (Movement Control Order) and absence of international competition, they have done very well. Their greater competitor is themselves which is to beat their own personal best.

"However, I felt sorry for men's long jumper Andre Anura Anuar, who have recurring hamstring (injury) and he has to pull out from competition today," he said when contacted.

-- BERNAMA