KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- The Terengganu contingent continued to narrow the gap with table-leader Selangor in the hunt for the overall champion title of the 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA), as they are now separated by a difference of only three gold medals.
As of 10:00 pm tonight, Selangor leads the standings with 30 gold, 33 silver and 23 bronze medals, while Terengganu is in second place with 27 gold, 27 silver, and 20 bronze, followed by Johor in third place with 21 gold, 25 silver, and 20 bronze.
The host state gained massive momentum through swimming and chess, which contributed four gold medals each, but they must remain focused to ensure the overall champion title stays in Darul Ehsan.
Terengganu, meanwhile, showed their prowess in athletics with a haul of six gold medals, alongside four golds each in road cycling and taekwondo, further heating up the competition ahead of the closing day this coming Monday (August 24).
Meanwhile, amidst the intense race for the overall throne, Pahang shooting athlete Cheah Zen Hong stole the spotlight today by making a sensation after winning his fifth gold medal at the SUKMA 2026.
The 20-year-old athlete proved his distinct class by dominating the men's individual 10-meter (m) air pistol event after taking 24 shots to accumulate a total of 236.8 points, which is a new record for the biennial games.
Zen Hong previously won gold in the individual and team 50m free pistol on Monday and the individual 25m rapid fire yesterday, besides also topping the men's team 10m air pistol event earlier this morning.
This extraordinary achievement further strengthens his determination to try to repeat the feat of winning seven golds that he accomplished while competing at SUKMA Sarawak previously.
Meanwhile, the heat of competition is expected to intensify tomorrow as the badminton courts begin offering medals through the men's and women's team events, which will surely be the focus of local sports fans.
The men's team category gold medal playoff will feature a clash between the Federal Territories team, who will be challenged by Penang.
For the women's team category, Selangor has the opportunity to add to its gold collection to pull further ahead at the top of the chart as they are scheduled to meet Penang in the final action.
-- BERNAMA