KUALA LUMPUR: Nauraj Singh Randhawa is best placed to end Malaysia’s 16-year athletics medal drought at the Commonwealth Games after declaring his confidence in finishing on the podium at the Gold Coast next month.
While teammate Lee Hup Wei currently leads the IAAF top list, it is on the younger Nauraj's shoulders that hopes for an athletics medal rests.
Although, he has only cleared 2.24 metres so far in 2018, Nauraj has been training diligently in Australia since the end of 2017 under coach Alex Stewart in his bid to win a medal at the Carrara Stadium on Apr 11.
"Things are good actually. Training has been going well," said Nauraj, who holds the national record of 2.30m.
"I'm just coming through the last phase of training camp now and we are building some team spirit to take along to the Games."
Hup Wei has cleared 2.28m, a personal best, to lead the 2018 IAAF top list, which is dominated by jumpers from Commonwealth countries as the outdoor season in North America and Europe has yet to begin.
It sets up the possibility of two Malaysians on the high jump podium and winning the country's first medals in the sport since women’s 20km walker Yuan Yufang's bronze and 100m para sprinter Hisham Khaironi's silver in Manchester in 2002.
G. Saravanan won Malaysia’s only athletics gold at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in the men’s 50km walk.
Aside from Hup Wei, Nauraj can expect to be challenged by training partner Brandon Starc of Australia, India's Tejaswin Shankar and Jamal Wilson of Bahamas, who have all cleared 2.28m this year.
Missing from the Gold Coast, however, is Canada's Rio Olympic, world and Glasgow Commonwealth Games champion Derek Drouin.
Ranked joint-seventh in the IAAF top list, Nauraj said he is relishing the challenge of winning a medal in his second Commonwealth Games appearance.
"I think it will be a good competition. A tough competition is expected and I’m looking forward to it," said three-time Sea Games gold medallist Nauraj.
"I mean I’m excited and I’m thinking of it more as the days are getting closer. I'd be lying if I said I'm not aiming for a medal because I don’t want to sell myself short.
"I think I stand a good chance to gain a podium finish."
Nauraj has one win in four outings this year after clearing 2.21m at the Sydney Grand Prix on Mar 17 while coming in second to Hup Wei at the New South Wales Championships with a 2.24m effort on Feb 4.