SERDANG, Aug 16 (Bernama) -- Having his mother watching from the stands provided the extra motivation Terengganu hurdler Mohamad Armin Zahryl Abdul Latif needed to successfully defend his men’s 110 metres (m) hurdles title at the Malaysia Games (SUKMA) Selangor 2026 here, today.
Mohamad Armin said the presence of his mother, Hanariah Omar, made the victory even more meaningful compared with his triumph on his SUKMA debut in Sarawak two years ago.
“My mother’s presence in the stands was the biggest source of motivation for me. It was very different compared with two years ago when I won without her being there.
“This time, I felt more motivated and much stronger to give my best on the track,” he told reporters after the event held at the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Sports Centre.
The Terengganu athlete went on to clinch the gold medal in a new Games record of 13.66 seconds (s), erasing the previous mark of 14.10s set by Sabah’s Rayzam Shah Wan Sofian in 2008.
Johor’s Mohamad Hazriq Cik Mat Kilau settled for silver in 13.83s, while Muhammad Ruzki A’ Limi Mohamad Zahizal of Federal Territories took bronze in 13.96s.
Mohamad Armin had also broken the national record at the Asian Under-23 Athletics Championships in Ordos, China, last month after clocking 13.63s in the first round to erase Rayzam Shah’s previous mark of 13.67s set in 2017, before lowering it further to 13.58s in the final.
Meanwhile, Kelantan’s Fatin Nashira Mohd Fadzil emerged champion in the women’s 100m hurdles final after clocking 14.49s in a closely fought race.
Perak’s Farah Syakira Azizsafarin had to settle for silver after finishing just 0.03s behind in 14.52s, while Sarawak’s Syarifah Nur Alisya Syed Zafirna claimed bronze in 14.55s.
-- BERNAMA