PETALING JAYA: Six years after former national thrower Mohd Yazid Imran questioned whether Malaysia would produce a worthy challenger to his long-standing record, a new name is beginning to emerge – Chai Kai Le.
The 18-year-old showed his rapid rise with a personal best throw of 63.13m at the Asian Throwing Championships in Mokpo on Saturday, smashing the Malaysian Under-20 record of 62.90m set 27 years ago by Kho Mei Kwang in Darwin, Australia.
It was his second straight personal best, underlining a surge in form after his 60.82m effort at the Singapore Open last month.
“I am delighted to break my personal record, but I know I still have a lot to do to address my weaknesses and aim to be better in future competitions,” said Kai Le.
“My technique needs further refinement, and when I return to training, I will work on it. It was nice to compete against some of the best in the world. I just want to keep going.”
In Mokpo, however, Kai Le narrowly missed out on a place in the final, finishing 3.31m short of the top eight. If his development continues, Malaysia could soon look to him as a serious medal contender at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games next year.
In Mokpo. Elrick Roslee also recorded a throw of 58.88m, while Cheah Jun Wei managed 56.17m.
At 24 and 22 respectively, both athletes are also seen as promising prospects for the future.
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