KUALA LUMPUR: National woman sprinter S. Komalam Shally has just two months left to qualify for the Myanmar SEA Games in December.
She has yet to meet the Games’ qualifying times for both the women’s 100m (11.69) and 200m (24.00) events and only has a few more chances to make it stick.
Komalam clocked in a new personal best of 11.83 at the Asian Track and Field (ATF) Championships in Pune, India, early this month. Her personal best in the 200m is 24.55, which she set in the Thailand Open in last November.
But she remains unfazed.
If she makes it to Myanmar, it will be only her second appearance at the SEA Games.
In 2011, she was part of 4x100m women’s relay team who clocked 45.46 to finish fourth behind eventual winners Thailand (44.40), Indonesia (45.00) and Vietnam (45.12) in Indonesia.
“I’ve been working hard to get myself to the Games ... it has been my ultimate goal since I started running,” said Komalam.
“I want to taste individual glory at the Games and I’m going to fight tooth and nail to make sure I qualify.”
With athletics competitions coming up thick and fast, Komalam is boosted by the fact that she has a few more chances to do so.
The 24-year-old will be competing in the Thailand Open (Sept 3-6), Malaysian Grand Prix 2 (Sept 7), Armed Forces Open (Sept 18-20), 3rd Islamic Solidarity Games (Sept 22- Oct 1) in Palembang, Indonesia, and the Malaysian Open (Oct 19-20).
“I see it as an advantage with the competitions being so close to each other, but I have to thread carefully ... I have to make time but I also don’t want to peak too soon,” she said.
“I know I have a lot more to do in training and a lot to improve on. I’m confident I’ll be able to do it (qualify).”
Meanwhile, the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) selection committee have completed their first round selection of 529 athletes who will compete in 33 out of the 37 sports on offer at the Games.
OCM have also appointed Malaysia Rugby Union president Datuk Wira Amiruddin Embi as the chef de mission for the Games, with Md Sa’adon A Shukor, of the National Sports Institute (NSI), as his deputy.
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