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 Best all-round Malaysian wins decathlon at Southeast Asia Games
Posted: Monday August 09, 1999 11:58 AM
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Reuters) -- Malaysian teenager Mohd Malik Tobias claimed the title of Southeast Asia's best all-round athlete when he easily won the decathlon at the SEA Games in Brunei on Monday -- a year after taking up the event. The 18-year-old first year university student took the gold with a total of 6,989 points after winning seven of the 10 events ahead of a field of just four entrants. In winning, Mohd Malik became the first Malaysian in a decade to capture the region's all-round title. He also bettered the 16-year-old Malaysian national record of 6,785 points held by Hanafiah Nasir, despite lumbering home in last place in the final event, the 1,500 meters. "I had a comfortable lead and did well in the field events and that sort of gave me the inspiration I needed," he said. The triple and long jumper was persuaded to take up the event by his Russian coach Sergei Sidorenko in 1998. His experience in the field events was the key to his victory at Brunei's Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium. He won the long jump, high jump, pole vault, shot putt, discus, javelin and 110 meters hurdles. Mohd Malik said he had questioned his sanity after abandoning a promising career as a jumper for the more exhausting decathlon. But, with a first international victory under his belt, he is now targeting another gold medal in next month's Asian junior games in Singapore. "I am very, very happy but I will have to work extra hard on my track events, which is my weakest area, to excel in the sport, which I have begun to love very much."
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