IPOH: State teams showed marked improvement at the just-concluded Malaysia Games.
The spread of medals between the top-four states — Terengganu, Federal Territories (FT), Sarawak and Selangor — was balanced, signaling progress among up-and-coming athletes.
National Sports Council (NSC) director general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail said two years ago the disparity in medals won by the overall winner and other states was clear but it was different this time.
"It was close this time. Terengganu and FT swapped positions a number of times during the 14 days of competition," said Shapawi.
"Selangor and Sarawak also did well to win 47 and 42 gold each.
"A few sports also showed good improvement this time such as athletics, weightlifting and shooting."
In athletics, a total of seven games records were broken including long standing records by pole vaulter Roslinda Samsu (18 years), 400m sprinter Zaiful Zainal Abidin (16 years) and the 22-year-old heptathlon record previously held by Masliza Shaari.
Weightlifting, which was recently dropped from the core sports programme, was also impressive with a total of five national records and 27 games records renewed.
In shooting, 10 national records were broken while in swimming one national record and 14 games records were surpassed.
Shapawi disclosed that a total of 1,381 athletes — 780 male and 601 female — from the Kita Juara and national and state backup programmes had represented their states.
Five medal winners from the Indonesia Asian Games — Fauzi Kaman Shah, Ilham Wahab and Nur Fatin Solehah Abdul Rahman (sailing), Ng Eain Yow and Aifa Azman (squash) had helped their respective states win gold.
Seven athletes from the Podium Programme — Abdul Latif Romly (athletics), Syed Ezwan Syed De, Aidil Aiman Zawawi (sepak takraw), Ng Eain Yow (squash), Fadhil Zonis, Khairil Nizam Rasol, Shariz Efendi Mohd Shahrin (cycling) — had also won gold for their contingents.
