HEARTBREAK KIDS
(Focus On Track & Field's Near Misses)
By Mark Koh, TS Student Reporter, NUS
Interviews by Naveen Kanagalingam in Vientiane
Picture by Aundry Gan
Singapore, already under represented in the prestigious sport of Track & Field, found the going tough at the SEA Games here in Vientiane. But all credit go to triple jumper Stefan Tseng (pictured) and sprinter Muhammad Amiruddin Jamal who just missed out on medals.
Triple Jump
In the Men's Triple Jump, Stefan did well with his best result of 16.03m. But it was not good enough for a medal as the top three positions went to Thailand's Theerayut Philakong (16.51) and V Kongnil (16.29) and Filipino Joebert Delicano (16.12). Missing a medal was especially painful for the 19-year-old as he also just lost the bronze at the 2007 World Youth Championships. Assessing his charge's performance, coach Valerie Obidko said, "Stefan was over excited as he knew he could get a medal." The competition among the top jumpers was good and the battle for bronze was really close, he added. This was no consolation for Stefan who broke down after the event. But, in the eyes of his parents, he did well. Said his father, Paul Tseng, "He came in fourth. This is definitely something. We are very proud of our boy."
Century Sprint
In the Men's 100m, Muhammad Amiruddin Jamal also did well to finish fourth in 10.62 secs, ahead of team mate Poh Seng Song who was fifth in 10.7 secs. The gold went to Indonesia's Suryo Agung Wibowo in a record time of 10.17 secs, ahead of Thailand's Wachara Sondee (10.30) and another Indonesian Fadlin (10.61). Asked immediately after the race about how he felt, Amiruddin said, "I am good. But I am quite disappointed." He added, "It was a really close run. I was just a tad unlucky." He revealed, "When I came to Laos, I told myself that, first and foremost, I will enjoy myself. If (I) do not, I would not run well." He did enjoy the race and ran well but a medal proved elusive.