KUALA LUMPUR: National dash ace Mohd Haiqal Hanafi (pic) hopes to pack in no less than four worldwide competitions earlier than he flies the nationwide flag on the thirty first SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, in May.
Haiqal believes this shall be adequate for him to discover his rhythm in a bid to retain the lads’s 100m gold medal he received on the 2019 version in Manila, the Philippines.
“I think three or four competitions are enough in the run-up to Vietnam. It all depends on the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF).
“If they feel there are suitable competitions, I’m ready to race,” he mentioned.
On the native grid, the 22-year-old mentioned he’ll make an look on the Kuala Lumpur Open subsequent month, adopted by a contest in Perak in February.
He is leaving it to his coach Mohd Poad Md Kassim to determine on the variety of native competitions to fine-tune him for the Hanoi Games.
Asked concerning the time he needs to set in Vietnam, Haiqal admitted he has not set any particular goal however solely needed an excellent go off the blocks to win the blue-ribbon occasion for the second time in a row.
The Negri Sembilan-born Haiqal is set to bounce again stronger in 2022 after being hit by a number of unhappy episodes this yr, together with lacking two competitions, the Malaysian Grand Prix (Championship following an ankle damage final April and the Qosanov Memorial Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan, final June due to a optimistic Covid-19 take a look at.
Regarding his efficiency in 2021, Haiqal remained glad regardless of ending fifth in his solely outing this yr on the National Athletics Championship just lately.
He mentioned an assault of nerves denied him a spot on the rostrum, because the final time he competed in a closed meet right here was on the finish of 2020.
Haiqal additionally mentioned he’s snug coaching at SMK Gunung Rapat in Perak within the firm of 2017 SEA Games champion Khairul Hafiz Jantan. – Bernama
