By Syifarida Muhammad Zaki
Photo by Mohd Yusly Mohd Yusof
SERDANG, Feb 10 (UPM) – Defending champion Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) generally dominated the athletics events at the Institutions of Higher Learning (SUKIPT) 2014 Championship which began at the Stadium Arena Universiti Malaya (UM) on February 5 until yesterday.
UPM grabbed 12 gold, 8 silver and 9 bronze medals followed by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UITM) with 7 gold, 7 silver, 2 bronze and Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UNIMAP) with 7 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze medals.
UPM Athletics Team Manager, Mohd Firdaus Hj. Abdullah said the achievement was beyond expectation because UPM was merely targeting for nine gold medals in the athletics events.
“I did not expect the UPM athletes to achieve such success because several of our athletes, namely Noor Amira Mohamad Nafiah in the triple jump, and Ahmad Luth Hamizan in the 5000m run, were already suffering injuries,” he said.
UPM athlete in the men’s shot putt event, Adi Alifuddin Hussin who holds the SUKIPT championship record, defended his gold medal at this latest edition of the inter-varsity game with a throw of 15.85 metres.
The game which was officiated by Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister who is also the Malaysian Education Minister YAB Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Muhyiddin b. Hj. Mohd Yassin at the Stadium UiTM Shah Alam on February 3 will end on Feb 16.
Meanwhile, UPM athlete who is also a national athlete, Muhammad Khairil Harith Harun achieved a new championship record at the SUKIPT 2014 in the men’s 10000-metre walk.
His time of 48 minutes and 50 seconds was an improvement over the old championship record of 50 minutes and 09 seconds clocked by Satiyaseelan a/l Mahalingam in the 2012 edition.
UPM triple jump athlete, Muhammad Hakimi Ismail also broke the old SUKIPT record when he made a jump of 15.67 metres for the gold medal. He will compete in China at the ASIAN indoor Athletics Championship next week.
In another development, Noor Hidayu Mohamed Remey (UPM) beat Jenny Soh Fong Mee from Kolej Antarabangsa KBU in the Under 67 kilograms (KG) women’s taekwando event with a final point of 4-2 to grab the gold medal. Jenny Soh, who won the bronze medal at the SEA Games in Myanmar recently, had to be contented with the silver medal.
Other successful UPM athletes who had won the gold medals were Norliyana Binti Kamaruddin, High Jump (W); Ahmad Luth Hamizan, 5000 Metres (M); Mohd Fahmee Zamzam Mehamad, Pole Vault (M); Shamala Jeanne Chandran, 800 Metres (W); Mohamad Rohaizad Jamil, 110 Metres Hurdles (M); Chuah Yu Tian, Pole Vault (W); Norliyana Binti Kamaruddin, Heptathlon (W); Muhammad Fareez Rosli, Archery (Recurve Bow (M)); Nurul Asfahlina Mohamed Johari, Taekwando -Fly (W); Collin Ngo Gabriel, Taekwando -Fly (M); Nur Qurratu' Aini Zainal Abidin, Judo- 48 Kg (W); Muhamad Jafaannuar Jamaludin, Judo - +60kg – 66kg (M).
Overall medal tally for the SUKIPT 2014 in the top 10 rankings as of today are as follows:
|
CONTINGENT |
GOLD |
SILVER |
BRONZE |
|
Universiti Teknologi MARA |
28 |
19 |
14 |
|
Universiti Putra Malaysia |
24 |
17 |
20 |
|
Universiti Malaya |
11 |
2 |
5 |
|
Universiti Malaysia Perlis |
8 |
3 |
6 |
|
Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin |
6 |
5 |
3 |
|
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia |
6 |
2 |
4 |
|
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
Universiti Sains Malaysia |
3 |
4 |
3 |
|
Universiti Malaysia Sabah |
2 |
6 |
8 |
|
Kolej Komuniti Sabah |
2 |
3 |
3 |
SUKIPT which represents a platform in selecting athletes for the Asean University Games (AUG) involved a total of104 contingents with 8,000 athletes, 2,500 officials and 1,500 volunteers and offered 251 gold medals for grabs at the second edition this time. – UPM
- smz/ao/kgo
