BANGKOK: Malaysia’s men’s 4x100m relay team clinched a silver medal at the SEA Games after clocking a national record 39.03 seconds, finishing behind hosts Thailand and ahead of Indonesia in a thrilling final today (Dec 15).
Thailand lived up to their billing as regional sprint kings by taking gold in 38.28 seconds, while Indonesia secured bronze with a time of 39.51 seconds.
The Malaysian quartet of Alif Iman Mohd Fahimi, Jonathan Nyepa, Pengiran Aidil Auf Hajam and Danish Iftikhar Mohd Roslee produced their fastest-ever run on the big stage, surpassing the previous national record of 39.09 seconds set at the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam.
Veteran sprinter Jonathan, who hails from Belaga, Bintulu, credited the team’s mindset and race strategy for the breakthrough, revealing that the focus in the calling room was on applying pressure rather than being intimidated by the hosts.
“Before the race, I told the boys not to let Thailand feel too comfortable. We knew they are very strong runners, so the key was to focus on our own execution and give them the best competition possible,” said Jonathan, who was making his sixth SEA Games appearance, when speaking to reporters after the race at the Suphachalasai National Stadium here.
He added that the silver medal and national record came as a pleasant surprise, especially as the team had not previously completed a full-race run together in training.
“The opportunity was always there. We just prepared as best as we could.
“Even in training, we didn’t really do a full run at this level, so to come out and break the national record on race day is very special,” he said.
Despite settling for silver, the Sarawakian sprinter believed the performance shows Malaysia are closing the gap on the region’s top sprint nations.
“The chance is there, and this result proves that we can challenge anyone when everything comes together,” he added.
