PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s double sprint Asian Games champion Tan Sri Dr M. Jegathesan is impressed with Thailand’s Puripol Boonsun and his exploits at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
While hailing the 21-year-old’s achievements as world class, the 82-year-old Dr Jegathesan said for Malaysia to reach the same standard, the country must have the right athletes with the right attitude and a conducive set-up to make it work.
On Monday, Puripol burned up the track with a blistering time of 19.88s in the 200m to set a new Asian record.
Before that, he was in stellar form in the 100m, scorching the track in 9.90s to set a new Games record.
"I watched him run. He was in a different league … he is of world standard," said Dr Jegathesan.
"He dipped below 10s and 20s in both sprint events respectively … that is incredible. It shows the amount of work he has put in behind the success.”
No Malaysian sprinter has matched what Dr Jegathesan achieved at the Asian Games.
He started by winning silver in the 100m and gold in the 200m, setting a Games record in the latter at the 1962 edition in Jakarta, Indonesia.
He then upped the ante at the 1966 Bangkok Games by completing the sprint double, winning both the 100m and 200m.
A few Malaysian sprinters have made it to the podium since.
Thambu Krishnan bagged bronze in the 200m at the same 1966 Games, while Rabuan Pit won gold in the 100m and bronze in the 200m at the 1982 Games in New Delhi.
More recently, Mohd Azeem Fahmi bagged bronze in the 100m with a time of 10.11s at the 2022 Hangzhou Games.
In Japan, Azeem, who holds the national record of 10.09s, suffered an injury in the 100m final and limped across the finishing line in last place with a time of 14.65s.
Dr Jegathesan believes it is possible for Malaysia to produce a sprint star like Puripol.
“Azeem (22) is on the right track but unfortunately, he was injured,” said Dr Jegathesan.
“We need to have the right breed of athletes who have the right personality, attitude and physical attributes.
“And this search must start when they are in their teens and they must go through the right process.
“And they must be brought up by the right people,” added Dr Jegathesan.
