Jonah Chang Rigan’s record-breaking win shows Sarawak’s prowess in throwing events

KUCHING: Jonah Chang Rigan’s triple gold win, including setting a new national record in shot put, underscores Sarawak’s dominance in the throwing events at the recent competitions.

Despite challenges in other track and field events, Sarawak’s athletics team showed potential, particularly in the throws.

While Sarawak won five gold medals—a modest haul overall—the achievement is commendable given the constraints and limited exposure of young athletes compared to their counterparts from Peninsular Malaysia.

The success of Sarawak’s throwers can be traced back to former Sarikei school teacher Ling Neng Tung, who pioneered the hammer throw in the state.

His dedication has produced a series of champions, including national and international athletes like Jackie Wong Siew Cheer and SEA Games champion Grace Wong Siew Mei.

Jonah, who also hails from Ling’s training programme in Sarikei, expressed his ambition to succeed Jackie Wong in the hammer throw and ensure Malaysia is well-represented in future SEA Games.

He also has aspirations to qualify for the next Olympics in Los Angeles in the shot put event, where he currently has no peers in the nation.

The importance of finding passionate coaches to nurture talent in rural areas, where there is significant potential, cannot be overstated.

This is particularly true in disciplines like sprints, where Watson Nyambek, Sarawak’s sprinting legend, was first discovered by Cikgu Ali.

The state is eager to see a resurgence of top sprinters following Watson’s retirement.

Jonah’s three gold medals in shot put, discus, and hammer throw highlight Sarawak’s strength in throwing events, although concerns remain about the lack of track athletes and jumpers compared to Peninsular Malaysia.

Sarawak’s gold medals came exclusively from throws, with Jonah winning three and Ng Jing Zuan securing gold in the women’s javelin. Pauline Ulun added a surprise gold in the discus.

In the track events, Sarawak managed two silver and four bronze, including a commendable performance in the heptathlon by Darellyn Denisa Deng Dennis, who competed across track, throw, and jump events.

The women’s 4x100m relay team, powered by Ormilla Oxtavia Codday, earned a bronze, demonstrating that these events hold potential for further development.

Cleosandra Chanda won two silver medals in the 1,500m and 3,000m steeplechase, while Ormilla Octavia secured two bronze in the 100m and 200m, placing her among the top four sprinters in the country.

Faris Khuzarie also contributed with a bronze in the 3,000m steeplechase, finishing behind teammate Cleosandra.

Sarawak showed a rare success in the jumping events, with Maritza Ferrer Armstrong finishing on the podium in third place for both the long jump and triple jump.

Sylvia Nawan’s bronze in the women’s high jump was another notable achievement for Sarawak.

In the all-around events, Akmal Kifflyya earned a bronze in the men’s decathlon, and Elaine Wong Koh Ching took bronze in the women’s heptathlon.

However, there were some near misses, such as in the men’s pole vault, where Akmal Badruddin, who was favoured to win gold, had an unfortunate mishap when his pole grazed the bar during his third attempt.

One of the biggest surprises came from 16-year-old Alena Thipong, who was not expected to win gold but triumphed in the hammer throw event, ensuring that Sarawak met its five-gold target.

Overall, Sarawak’s athletes secured four silver, 11 bronze, and set two national records, demonstrating that Sarawak athletics is on an upward trajectory.