THE Malaysian Muay Thai Association and Malaysia Skate Federation (Myskate) each targeted one gold at the Philippines Sea Games.
And their wish came true yesterday, thanks to teenage exponent Rifdean Masdor and skateboarder Grace Wong.
In Subic Bay, 17-year-old Sarawakian Rifdean knocked out Laos’ Singsavath Soulixay in the 45kg final with the score at 10-9.
Rifdean’s win, however, comes as no surprise.
He had, after all, won silver at the World Muay Thai Championships in Thailand in July after losing to Thailand’s Naruephon Chittra in the 48kg final.
The national Muay Thai squad also captured a silver at the Sea Games yesterday through Zulhilmi Rosli, who lost 30-27 to Thailand’s Chittra Naruephon in the 48kg.
There was more golden glitter over in Tagaytay City when Grace emerged triumphant in the women’s downhill event on the final day of the skateboarding competition.
Thailand’s Pimchua Nuansamorn took silver while Filipina Abarico Rydelle Grace settled for bronze.
In men’s downhill, Malaysia ended up with a bronze when Ahmad Shahrafidz Luqman Hakimi finished third, behind two Filipinos — De Lange Jaime Rafael and Pandeagua Duke Raphael.
Eight gold were on offer in skateboarding, involving four disciplines — street, park, game of skate and downhill.
There was bad news for Malaysian rugby when the defending champions were trounced 19-0 by the Philippines in the final yesterday.
Malaysia, who defeated Singapore for the gold two years ago, had also won silver at the Singapore Games in 2015.
Hopefully, Malaysia will have better luck in polo as they are through to the final of the B Division: 0-2 goals mixed event after eliminating Indonesia 7-2 at the Miguel Romero Polo Field yesterday.
There was a pall of gloom hanging over the Malaysian cueists at the Manila Hotel Tent after they were shown the exit in the 9-ball pool competition.
In women’s doubles event, Lim Siew Boon-Wong Poi Sei lost 7-1 to Indonesia’s Fathrah Masum-Nony Andilah while Suhana Dewi Sabtu-Klaudia Djajalie were edged 6-5 by Angeline Ticoalu-Silviana Lu, also of Indonesia, in the quarter-finals.
Kok Jken Yung lost 9-4 to Vietnam’s Do The Kien in the last 16 of the men’s singles.
There was some joy for Malaysia in eSport, which is making its debut in the Sea Games.
Malaysia’s Ahmad Ali Huzaifi Abdullah, Abdul Wandi Abdul Kadir, Jamil Nurolla, Izme Haqeem Hamsjid and Muhammad Hazeem Onn ended up with bronze after losing 2-0 to the Philippines in the lower bracket final of the Mobile Legend category.