INCHEON: Fourteen-year-old Dhiauddin Rozaini watched sadly as his team-mates received their medals at the Wangsan Sailing Marina.
Dhiauddin, the reigning Asian champion, was unlucky not to be on the podium for the boys’ Optimist event on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, he had finished third in Race 11 and fourth in Race 12 for a 31-point total. It was good enough to secure a silver ahead of Singaporean Raynn Kok (36 points).
South Korean Park Sung-bin took the gold on 16 points.
But joy turned to misery hours later. Dhiauddin, who had called his mother Siti Zarina Basiran earlier to relate the good news, found himself disqualified from Race 11 when the official results were announced.
Dhiauddin slipped from second to fourth on 38 points – just a point behind Thailand’s Suthon Yampinid.
On Wednesday, Faizal Norizan-Ahmad Syukri Abdul Aziz picked up their gold in the men’s 420. They were joined by silver medallists Khairulnizam Afendy (men’s Laser) and Nuraisyah Jamil-Umi Norwahida Sallahuddin (women’s 420).
It was Malaysia’s best-ever show in Asiad and Dhiauddin was distraught that he could not make his contribution.
“I came here early with the squad (on Aug 31) and promised my mother that I would present her with a medal.
“The Singapore team protested that I knocked into their boat in Race 11 and the jury ruled in their favour.
“It’s unfair as I did not do it on purpose. I had to call my mother again to say sorry to her.
“I am sad but I have to accept my fate,” said Dhiauddin, who won the gold when the Asian Sailing Championships were held in Incheon in May.
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