Malaysian athletes show promise at WUG despite missing target
Khiew Hoe Yean ended a 34-year wait for Malaysia in the pool by bagging silver in the men's 400m freestyle, while Wong Ling Ching delivered bronze in the women's singles badminton event.
Hoe Yean's silver was the country's first swimming medal at the WUG or Universiade since Jeffrey Ong's silver in the men's 1,500m freestyle at the 1991 Sheffield Games.
Malaysia sent a 64-strong contingent to compete in six of the 19 sports contested at this year's edition, held across Duisburg and surrounding cities.
The modest two-medal haul fell well short of the seven-medal target.
Still, there were encouraging signs, particularly in the pool.
Hoe Yean not only won silver but also helped set a new national record in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay alongside Arvin Shaun Singh Chahal, Lim Yin Chuen, and Tan Khai Xin.
Hoe Yean also broke the national mark in his individual 400m race.
Arvin Shaun posted a personal best in the men's 100m freestyle, while in athletics, Nurul Ashikin Abas (women's triple jump), the men's 4x100m, and women's 4x400m relay teams all recorded season-best times.
Six Malaysians made it to the finals in their events, four of them in athletics.
Among them was Azeem Fahmi, who finished fourth in the men's 100m final. The 21-year-old flag bearer and debutant showed his potential in the blue riband event but also learned how narrow the margins are at the top.
The women's recurve archery team also made history by reaching the semi-finals for the first time.
Despite missing the medal target, the effort, hunger and composure shown by Malaysia's young athletes against world-class opposition were widely praised.
The experience gained is expected to serve them well as they build toward bigger international competitions.
The Games ended with a vibrant closing ceremony at Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord.
Japan topped the overall medal table with 34 golds, followed by China (30) and the United States (28). The next edition of the WUG will be hosted by Chungcheong, South Korea, in 2027. - BERNAMA
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