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Norliana replaces pregnant Yufang in the 20km walk


By AFTAR SINGH

KUALA LUMPUR: Youngster Norliana Mohd Rusni will replace Yuan Yufang for the women’s 20km walk event in the Laos SEA Games.

The 33-year-old Yufang, who has been the gold medallist for five consecutive Games since 1999 in Brunei, will not make the trip to Vientiane because she is pregnant.

The Malaysian Amateur Athletic Union (MAAU) president, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, said that the absence of Yufang meant that Malaysia had lost a sure bet for a gold medal.

“We have decide to send Norliana to the Laos Games as she has the potential to be a good walker. She did not meet the qualifying mark (1’43:91) and will be in the team as a Category B athlete,” said Shahidan after the SEA Games selection committee meeting in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

The 20-year-old walker from Negri Sembilan has a personal best of 1’52:14, which she posted in the Perlis Open in July.

The MAAU would have to bear the expenses a Category B athlete and they will get a reimbursement from the Olympic Council of Malaysia if the athlete bags a silver medal.

Shahidan added that 14 athletes – 11 men and three women – qualified under Category A for the biennial Games.

The men who met the qualifying marks are Mohd Idris Zakaria (100m, 200m, 4x400m), M. Mathialagan (800m), Mohd Jironi Riduan (800m, 1,500m), M. Vadivellan (1,500m), Mohd Zafril Mohd Zuslaini, Mohd Zaiful Zainal Abidin, P. Yuvaaraj (4x400m), Lo Choon Sieng and Teoh Boon Lim (20km walk), Lee Hup Wei (high jump) and Mohd Hafizuddin Sahadan (pole vault).

The women in the team on merit are Noraseela Khalid (400m, 400m hurdles), Roslinda Samsu (pole vault) and Tan Song Hwa (hammer).

Shahidan added that they have also named seven men and 11 women under Category B.

The men are Rayzam Shah Wan Sofian, Mohd Robani Hassan and Mohd Faiz Mohamed (110m hurdles), Mohd Noor Imran (100m), K. Amran Raj (4x400m), Adi Alifuddin Husin (shot putt) and Navin Raj (high jump).

“The three hurdles will compete in the Singapore Open on Nov 28 to determine the two in the team for the Laos Games,” said Shahidan.

Besides Norliana, the other female Category B athletes are Norjannah Hafiszah Adabi and Nurul Siti Sarah Abdul Kadir (100m, 200m, 4x100m), Cynthia Manghing and Yee Yi Ling (4x100m), Norrohida Baidawi (400m, 4x400m), Nurul Faezah Asma Mazlan (4x400m), K. Ganthimanthi (800m, 1,500m, 4x400m), Nor Amira Mohd Napiah (triple jump), Siti Zubaidah Adabi (long jump) and Kathleen Ong (pole vault).

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