SOLO (Indonesia), Aug 4 (Bernama) -- National middle-distance runner Muhamad Ashraf Mohamad Haisham achieved the unique accomplishment of a double medal hattrick today after he won the men's 800 metres (m) T46 event (limb disability) at the ASEAN Para Games (APG) here.
Not only is this his third medal in this edition, it was also his third consecutive gold medal in this particular event, after having previously won at the 2015 Singapore edition and the 2017 Kuala Lumpur edition.
His two other medals in this edition was a gold from yesterday’s men’s 1,500m and a silver in the men’s 5,000m the day before.
Muhamad Ashraf recorded a time of 2:03.970s in today’s 800m victory, just shy of his own championship record of 2:03.67s set in 2015, edging Vietnamese rival Tran Van (2:03.970s) and Thet Htoo of Myanmar (2:04.790s) at Manahan Stadium.
"Competition this time around was quite fierce, so for today's race the coach emphasised more on caution, so I couldn't break the record. Competing in the first APG after five years and the first games since the COVID-19 pandemic, I am very grateful for this victory in Solo.
"After this, I will focus on the gold at the 2023 Cambodia APG and the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games that have been postponed to next year, in addition to trying to qualify for the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris," he said.
Meanwhile, runner Muhammad Faiz Haizat Rosdi won a silver in the men's 800m T37/38 (cerebral palsy) with a time of 2:16.060s, while Teofilo (2:06.390s) of Timor Leste took the gold and home representative Ammar (2:19.980s) won the bronze.
In wheelchair tennis, Mohamad Yusshazwan Yusoff's wish to win the gold in the C7 men's event went unfulfilled when he lost to Klongrua Suthi of Thailand, 2-6, 6-4, 6-7 in the final at the Manahan Tennis Courts.
A similar fate befell compound archer G. Daneshen who lost 134-143 in the men's singles final to Thailand's Sakon Inkaew and had to settle for silver at Kota Barat Stadium.
He will have another two shots at gold when he teams up with Wiro Julin for the men's team final and with Nur Jannaton Abdul Jalil for the mixed team final tomorrow.
-- BERNAMA
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