BANGKOK: National discus champion Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin was in a class of his own after winning the gold medal and setting a new Games record at the 2025 Thailand SEA Games at the Suphachalasai Stadium here, Tuesday.
This is Muhammad Irfan’s seventh consecutive personal gold medal since he began dominating the event starting from the 2013 edition in Myanmar.
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Even sweeter, at this edition, the Negeri Sembilan-born athlete finally managed to erase the Games record of 59.50 metres (m) that had stood for 26 years, set by Wong Tuck Yim of Singapore at the 1999 edition in Brunei.
In Tuesday’s competition, a throw of 60.23m on his second attempt was enough for Muhammad Irfan to confirm the gold medal and set the Games record.
Thailand’s athlete Srisai Kiadpradid won silver with a throw of 53.82m, and the bronze went to Filipino athlete Ricaforte Russel Je, who recorded a distance of 53.34m.
The aspiration of another national athlete, Jonah Chang Rigan, to reach the podium was not fulfilled after finishing in fourth place after managing a throw of 50.63m.
Muhammad Irfan’s success is the fifth gold medal for the national athletics squad here, following Grace Wong (women’s hammer throw), Jonah (men’s shot put), Nani Sahirah Maryata (women’s shot put), and Andre Anura (men’s long jump).
Meanwhile, national trap shooter Ong Chee Keng ended Malaysia’s 32-year gold medal drought in the men’s trap individual event after clinching the gold medal at the Photharam Shooting Range in Ratchaburi on Tuesday.
The Sarawakian emerged as champion with a score of 39 in the six-man final, delivering Malaysia its first gold in the event since Heng Chai Yee achieved the feat at the 1993 SEA Games in Singapore.
Hagen Alexander Topacio of the Philippines settled for the silver medal with 38 points while Indonesia’s Andreas Yunus Boki claimed the bronze after posting 30 points.
Chee Keng had dominated the qualification round after amassing a total of 113 points to comfortably advance to the final.
The historic triumph marks a major milestone in Chee Keng’s career, surpassing his bronze medal finish at the 2019 SEA Games in Manila.
