National discus thrower Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin sets his sights on Asian Games gold after a record-breaking seventh consecutive SEA Games victory.
NATIONAL discus throw ace Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin has set a new target of winning gold at the Asian Games.
This follows his dominant seventh consecutive SEA Games gold medal win here today.
The 30-year-old athlete said the goal is a realistic one based on his current performance.
He emphasised that thorough preparation and comprehensive support are crucial for the mission ahead of the quadrennial event in Japan next year.
“Of course, my next target is much bigger. What I see now is a clear picture, which is the Asian Games gold.
“It is something reasonable and achievable, not just a fantasy,” he said after the men’s discus final at the Suphachalasai Stadium.
Muhammad Irfan secured the gold with a Games record throw of 60.23 meters.
This erases the previous 26-year-old record of 59.50m set by Singapore’s Wong Tuck Yim in 1999.
Thailand’s Srisai Kiadpradid took silver with 53.82m.
The bronze medal went to Filipino athlete Ricaforte Russel Je with a distance of 53.34m.
His Asian Games performance has steadily improved since his debut.
He finished 12th at Incheon 2014, fifth at Jakarta-Palembang 2018, and sixth at Hangzhou 2022 with a personal best of 58.94m.
He attributed his latest success to adjustments in his winter training programme with coach Robert Fazekas.
“We reduced the training load a bit, and it worked,” he explained.
The athlete expressed satisfaction with his achievement and confidence in breaking his national record of 62.55m.
“I am 100% confident I can do 63m to 64m because I have reached that distance in training,” he said.
His victory contributed the fifth gold medal for the national athletics squad at these Games.
