ASEAN Schools Track and Field: Wong Kai Yuen wins second gold and Singapore’s third from athletics

Story by Erwin Wong and Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports. Photos by Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports

Choa Chu Kang Stadium, Sunday, July 3, 2011 — Hwa Chong Institution student Wong Kai Yuen gave himself the perfect send-off for the World Youth Championships when he won a gold medal and smashed the championship record in the shot put (5kg) on the second day of the third ASEAN Schools Games track and field competition.

The record was 17.03 metres set by Thailand’s Panyawut Bumroong in last year’s competition but that did not last beyond the first round as Kai Yuen stamped his dominance from the get go. His first throw of 17.71m immediately rewrote the record, and Kai Yuen was clearly head and shoulders over the rest as none of his competitors could match his throw.

His nearest competitor was Thailand’s Thawat Khachin who managed a distance of 17.16m. Despite also breaking the record, he was no match for Kai Yuen, whose relaxed form allowed him to throw a distance of 18.63m on his fifth attempt to break his record again.

This was a new personal best mark, bettering his previous PB of 17.96m set at the South-east Asian Junior meet two weeks ago, and also puts him in good stead for the World Youth Championships which begin in two days time. Kai Yuen had hoped for a throw of at least 18.50m today and in meeting this target, will go on to the biennial meet in Lille, France keen on achieving his goal of making it to the top 12 placings.

This is Kai Yuen’s second gold medal of the championships, adding to his Discus gold won yesterday. Fellow Hwa Chong Institution Year One student Bryan Koh threw a distance of 14.45m to finish in third place.

The three-day meet ends tomorrow, with Singapore represented by Carmel Teo, Yee Chern Hwee (girls’ Pole Vault), Brian Wang (boys’ High Jump), Benjamin Ong (boys’ Triple Jump), and Chan Zhi Xuan (girls’ Discus) in the field events.

Results (Field events)

Boys’ Long Jump:
1st Noval (Indonesia) 7.31 metres
2nd Nguyen Van Thuan (Vietnam) 7.02
3rd Mohd Fahmi Bin Meslan (Malaysia) 6.95
4th Shashi Kumar Hazra (Singapore) 6.67

Boys’ Shot Put (5kg):
1st Wong Kai Yuen (Singapore) 18.63 metres (Championship record)
2nd Thawat Khachin (Thailand) 17.16 (Championship record)
3rd Bryan Koh (Singapore) 14.45

Boys’ Javelin (700g):
1st Nasrun Sibela (Indonesia) 59.75 metres
2nd Chachawin Nameephol (Thailand) 58.11
3rd Efraem Gesulgon (Philippines) 57.58
5th Bryan Koh (Singapore) 48.58
6th Theodore Ng (Singapore) 46.16

Girls’ Javelin (600g):
1st Srisakun Bamrungchat (Thailand) 43.36 metres (Championship record)
2nd Lo Thi Phien (Vietnam) 41.87
3rd Le Thi Cam Dung (Vietnam) 38.58
4th Lenis Phoa (Singapore) 35.30

Girls’ Triple Jump:
1st Nor Shahidatun Nadia Binti Mohamad (Malaysia) 12.21 metres
2nd Titi Janiati (Indonesia) 11.67
3rd Nguyen Thi Tuoi (Vietnam) 11.54
4th Vera Yap (Singapore) 10.67