KUALA LUMPUR: Pengiran Aidil Auf Hajam arrived in Kuwait for the Under-18 Asian Youth Athletics Championships with a target to achieve two tough missions.
He not only wanted to win a medal in the men's 200m but also record a new personal-best mark.
And the 17-year-old from Sabah achieved them at the Ahmad Sulaiman Alrashdan Stadium in Kaifan on Sunday.
Pengiran recorded a new PB of 21.45s in the heats and won a bronze by clocking 21.65 in the final.
His previous PB was 21.80 en route to the gold at the MSSM Championships in Bukit Jalil last month.
Puripol Boonson of Thailand achieved a sprint double by posting 21.53 for the 200m title. On Friday, the double Hanoi Sea Games gold medallist won the 100m (10.33).
Yaqoub Alazemi of Kuwait clocked 21.55 for the silver.
Pengiran, a Form Five student of SMK Muhibbah, was overjoyed.
"I have achieved both missions here," said Pengiran.
"I was confident of winning a medal after clocking a PB in the heats.
" I am looking forward to clocking better times in competitions next year," said Pengiran, who won a sprint double at the MSSM meet.
Coach Jumain Taepe is proud of Pengiran's achievements.
"I believe he will be a national sprinter one day. His next assignment is to qualify for the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago," said Jumain.
Meanwhile, Reuben Valen Samen Anak Wellie finished fifth in the long jump with a leap of 6.87m.
Coach Lim Teck Leong said Reuben was unlucky as he had cleared more than seven metres three times this year.
His effort was way off his PB (7.24).
Abdullah Alazemi of Kuwait won the gold (7.34), followed by Thailand's Siraphob Bunyuak (7.11) and Hong Kong's Pak Yu Yiu (7.00).
Malaysia, represented by four athletes, achieved a haul of one gold, one silver and one bronze in the four-day meet.
Ng Tak Sing won gold in the triple jump with an effort of 14.62m while Fiross Faizal clocked 13.78s for the silver in the 110m hurdles.