Daredevil Danish

BANGKOK: As national sprinter Danish Iftikhar Mohd Roslee stretched at the sidelines of the Supachalasai Stadium, Thai sprint sensation Puripol Boonson walked past him, headphones on.

Calm before the storm: Thai star Puripol Boonson walking past Danish Iftikhar Mohd Roslee while he was doing his stretching at the Supachalasai Stadium.

The 18-year-old Malaysian smiled and carried on, unaffected by the presence of the overwhelming favourite for the 100m sprint gold.

Asked about the moment, Danish said: “When you’re about to compete against the best in South-East Asia, it’s not fear. It’s good news - it motivates me and helps my sprinting,” he said.

Danish has a personal best of 10.26s in the 100m, clocked during his Malaysian Open victory in Kangar, Perlis, in August.

Puripol, just a year older, holds the Thai national record of 10.06s.

“I’m happy to go up against the best in the region. He (Puripol) is young but experienced - he’s been competing since he was 16,” said Danish.

“I’m also excited because in today’s race, I’ll try to match his pace from the start. That could help my rhythm and maybe even push me to a new personal best.”

Danish is also excited about facing Singapore’s Olympian Marc Brian Louis, the 100m silver medallist at the previous SEA Games and the holder of Singapore’s national record of 10.27s.

Danish giving the thumbs-up.

“Let’s not forget Marc, who has competed at the Olympics. I’d love to follow his pace as well. We will see what happens on race day,” he said.

During pre-race training at the stadium, Danish repeatedly tested the starting blocks and even asked teammates to record his starts.

After a brief rest, the Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris (UPSI) sports science diploma student was back on the track to ensure he was fully comfortable with the surface and equipment.

“It’s my first SEA Games, so I want to be as thorough as possible,” he said.

“This is my first experience, so I’m not placing high expectations on myself. I just want a personal best. I’ve done the work, and whatever comes after that is rezeki (a blessing).”

Asked what he hopes to do outside of sprinting during his stay, he smiled and said, “This is my first time in Bangkok, so I just want to enjoy the vibes, the people, and the food.”