HIGHLIGHTS OF 2023

SEA Games blues

Cambodia played host for the time in the SEA Games in May and Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh announced a 141-medal target (40 gold, 37 silver and 64 bronze).

The contingent however, fell short of the target as they returned with 34 gold, 45 silver and 96 bronze.

Final fling: R. Sharmendran won his fourth gold medal at the Cambodia SEA Games in May.

R. Sharmendran became only the second karate exponent after R. Puvaneswaran to carry the Malaysian flag in the marchpast and stamped his mark with a fourth gold medal in the men’s kumite 75kg category.

Hangzhou stars

Malaysia did not set an official gold target for the first time as the Asian Games returned after a one-year delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic in Hangzhou.

Chef de mission Datuk Chong Kim Fatt only announced a target of 27 medals, potentially contributed by 13 sports and he contingent returned with 32 medals in the end (6-8-18).

Stars of the show were S. Sivasangari, who made a comeback after a serious car accident to win two gold medals (team and individual), a historic gold medal in dressage by equestrian rider Qabil Ambak and a bronze effort from rising athletics talent Mohd Azeem Fahmi.

Old is gold

Bodybuilder Syarul Azman Mahen Abdullah flexed his muscle with a double crown – in the worlds and at Asian level.

The 50-year-old successfully defended his men’s athletic physique – up to 167cm – title at the World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships in Gangwon, South Korea in November.

Lean and mean: Syarul Azman Mahen won a double this year.

It was the sixth world title for Syarul after having won in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022.

Just two months before, he bagged the same category at the Asian Bodybuilding And Physique Sports Championships held in Nepal.

Uplifting: Bonnie Bunyau Gustin won his first Asian Para Games powerlifting gold.

Always able

The para contingent set a 35-medal target but they surpassed the goal by returning home with 39 at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.

Powerlifter Bonnie Bunyau Gustin stole the show again by lifting his way to his first Asian Para Games gold medal in the men’s below 72kg event and set a new Games record of 230kg, just one short of his world record total.

Ammar Aiman Nor Azmi became a new star in para athletics when he set a new Asian para record of 47.60s in the men’s 400m T20 event to claim the title on his debut.

Long wait ends

Golfer Natasha Andrea Oon capped her outstanding rookie year by winning the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout in September, securing her first professional title after joining the play-for-pay ranks in June last year.

It was her first win on the Epson Tour after four narrow misses.

The 22-year-old eventually finished as the runner-up in the Epson Tour order of merit to join Kelly Tan in the LPGA Tour next year.

Ace in the pack: Natasha Andrea Oon won her first pro title in September.

Mighty Harimau Malaya

The year 2023 has been a good one for national football team under head coach Kim Pan-gon as they recorded nine wins in all competitions out of 14.

Cheers all round: The Malaysian team recorded nine wins in all competitions out of 14.

The team also recorded their first double digit victory since 1974, when they beat Papua New Guinea 10-0 in a friendly match. Their last double digit victory was against the Philippines on Sept 7, 1974 when they thrashed them 11-0.

The likes of wingers Arif Aiman Hanapi and Faisal Halim also made their presence felt in Asian football with their magical displays.

Perfect 10 for JDT

Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) sealed their 10th consecutive Super League title. They have won the league title since 2013.

This year, they also achieved their second quadruple by winning all the domestic competitions.

The Southern Tigers have also been in free scoring form, being the first club to score 100 goals in a single league season, a record that would be hard to beat by other clubs.

They will have a new team next season but is likely to remain unbeatable as they have the depth.