SET TRACK ALIGHT

Asian junior champ ready for crack at seniors

Open 100m final last month.

However, teammate Jonathan Nyepa has the fastest time this year after running 10.28s at the Korean Open in late June.

Poad is expected to combine Khairul and Jonathan with Badrul Hisyam Manap and Nixson Kennedy for the 4x100m relay, in a test ahead of the Sea Games.

The men’s discus final will be the first medal event to get underway today with Irfan among the contenders for a spot on the podium.

Defending champion Vikas Gowda of India and Iran’s Ehsan Hadadi, who leads the IAAF top list rankings among those entered in this event, start as favourites.

However, Hadadi’s 2017 best of 62.44 metres is only nine centimetres more than Irfan’s national record set in May.

While Noraseela was the country’s last ATF medallist, Malaysia last won gold in 2007 through pole vaulter Roslinda Samsu and high jumper Lee Hup Wei, who is back for another shot at winning a medal.

Meanwhile, Nauraj Singh Randhawa soared to a second European win in six days on Tuesday as he continued his preparation for the World Athletics Championships next month.

The high jumper cleared 2.21 metres to take the title at the Memorial Cansino meet in Castellon, Spain to follow his victory in Barcelona on June 29.

Nauraj again finished ahead of training mate Brando Starc, who was also runner-up in Barcelona, though the Australian gave Nauraj a close fight to finish second on countback in Castellon.

“It was a close one and I think Brandon is getting back to his groove,” said Nauraj after his fourth victory of the year having also won at the Canberra Grand Prix and the Singapore Open in March and April respectively.