Heart and Hustle: Sarawak stars bask in SEA Games medals and milestones

KUCHING: From blistering relay speed to record-shattering throws, Sarawakian athletes closed out the year in emphatic fashion, leaving a strong imprint across track and field events at the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Bangkok.

Sarawak featured prominently in Malaysia’s athletics campaign, highlighted by a national-record performance in the men’s 4x100m relay and a series of commanding displays from the state’s top throwers.

From seasoned sprinter Jonathan Nyepa to emerging stars in javelin, hammer, discus and shot put, Sarawakian athletes not only delivered medals but also signalled sustained depth heading into future regional and continental competitions.

Seasoned sprinter Jonathan Nyepa, competing in his sixth SEA Games, once again showed why he remains a mainstay of Malaysia’s sprinting setup.

The Belaga-born athlete was part of the men’s 4x100m relay quartet alongside Mohd Fahimi Aliff Iman, Hajam Pengiran Aidil Auf and Muhammad Roslee Danish Iftikhar, who produced their fastest-ever run on the SEA Games stage.

The Malaysian team clocked a national record 39.03 seconds to clinch the silver medal, finishing behind hosts Thailand and ahead of Indonesia in a thrilling final. The effort eclipsed the previous national mark of 39.09 seconds set at the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam.

Jonathan hopes his journey can inspire more young Sarawakians to take up athletics, particularly sprinting, and to dream of representing both the state and the country at the international level.

“I hope with this achievement, I can inspire children from Sarawak to get involved in athletics and one day represent Sarawak and Malaysia,” he told Sarawak Tribune at the recently concluded 33rd SEA Games 2025 in Bangkok.

If consistency is the measure of greatness, Grace Wong Xiu Mei continues to set the benchmark.

The Sarikei-born hammer thrower smashed both the national and SEA Games records three times en route to securing her fourth consecutive SEA Games gold medal with a superb 65.41m throw at the Suphachalasai National Stadium.

Now 25, Grace Wong has enjoyed an extraordinary SEA Games run, having previously won gold in Kuala Lumpur 2017 (59.24m), Hanoi 2021 (57.13m) and Phnom Penh 2023 (61.87m).

She finished well ahead of Thailand’s Koomphon Mingkamon (60.74m) and Kaewasuksi Sawitree (56.27m), reaffirming her dominance.

Ranked among Asia’s top three, Grace Wong is already looking beyond regional success, targeting the 68m mark — a key distance in challenging Asia’s elite at the Asian Games. After a short break, she plans to return to China for high-intensity training ahead of her continental push.

Ng Jing Xuan rewrote Malaysian athletics history in the women’s javelin throw.

The 21-year-old from Pujut, Miri, produced a sensational 52.17m effort to claim silver, becoming the first Malaysian woman to officially surpass the 50-metre mark in the event.

Jing Xuan, who began her athletics journey at the age of 13 while studying at SMK Chung Hua Miri, shattered the previous national record of 49.34m set by Siti Nur Nadiah Othman at the 2014 Thailand Open.

Thailand’s Wichaidit Jariya took gold with a 55.64m throw, while the Philippines’ Ana Bhianca Espenilla secured bronze with 51.66m. Jing Xuan’s breakthrough stood as one of the defining moments of the Games for Malaysian athletics.

Another Sarikei-born athlete, seasoned campaigner Jackie Wong, continues to combine competitiveness with a focus on the next generation.

Jackie claimed bronze in the men’s hammer throw with a 59.81m effort and believes there is still room for improvement with more structured and consistent training.

The 33-year-old is equally committed to nurturing young Sarawakian throwers, ensuring continuity in the state’s strong throwing tradition.

“I don’t think there is anything secret about it, maybe it’s just a coincidence. I have a few athletes training under me — one from Sibu and two from Sarikei. I am currently looking for replacements to perform for the state,” he said.

“Hopefully, heading into SUKMA, I will bring them along towards the Games and try to identify talent at the secondary school level.”

Sarawak also made its presence felt in the women’s discus through Queenie Kung Ni Ting, who claimed silver with a 51.81m throw.

She finished behind Thai Olympian Insaeng Subenrat, who dominated with 58.86m, while Vietnam’s Le Thi Cam Dung took bronze with 49.34m.

Queenie, also from Sarikei, viewed the challenge of competing against an Olympian as motivation rather than discouragement.

“The gold medal went to Thailand’s Olympian, which is a very strong motivation for me,” she said.

“For me, I will need to think about how I can get closer to her level in the future.”

Perhaps the most emotionally complex triumph came from Jonah Chang Rigan, whose achievements continue to command respect.

Jonah won gold and shattered both the national and SEA Games records in the men’s shot put with a throw of 18.78m, but admitted to mixed feelings after falling short of his long-standing 19m target.

Despite that, the result marked a major milestone. His previous personal best stood at 18.40m, and he revealed he has never surpassed 19m even in training.

Already qualified for the Asian Games, Jonah acknowledged that continental medal contention would likely require throws of 19.50m or more.

“It’s not easy, and I’m not there yet. But this result shows I’m moving in the right direction,” he said.

He dedicated the gold medal to his family, coaches and teammates.

“This gold is for my family. I don’t get to spend much time with them. Thank you to my coaches, my teammates, and especially Abang Irfan Shamsudin for pushing me through. Thank God for everything.”

Jonah finished ahead of Thailand’s Silamool Thongchai (16.80m) and the Philippines’ William Morrison III (16.66m).

Looking ahead, he said the coming year would be about discipline and structure as he adapts to a new coaching setup, with the 2026 Asian Games firmly in sight.

“Everything is new now, so I need more time and more focus. From here on, it’s all about preparing properly for the Asian Games,” he said.