NEW CLARK CITY: Muhammad Hakimi Ismail has now cemented his status as the undisputed triple jump champion in the region after grabbing his third successive SEA Games gold, here today.
The 28-year-old father of one was naturally ecstatic after clinching the gold for Malaysia with a season’s best of 16.68m in his third jump at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium.
The silver and bronze were won by Philippines’ Mark Harry Diones (16.42m) and Indonesian athlete, Sapwaturrahman (16.21m) respectively. Muhammad Hakimi’s teammate, Andre Anura Anuar ended his campaign in fifth place with a distance of 16.00m.
“I am very grateful for this third gold, and I want to thank the National Sports Council, the National Sports Institute and all Malaysians who are always praying for our contingent’s success,” Muhammad Hakimi said after his event.
He also dedicated the win to his wife, Sharifah Mastiara, who is due with their second child early next month, saying that she had sacrificed a lot of her time to take care of their two-year-old son in his absence during training and competitions.
Muhammad Hakimi’s focus now will shift to his attempt to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics through several international meets early next year, although he predicts it to be a tough ask due to his current world ranking. - Bernama
