KUALA LUMPUR: There will be no slowing down for Malaysia’s top pistol shooter Hasli Izwan Amir Hasan even though he will be 37 come Feb 22.
Instead, the Ipoh-born shooter is all fired up to feature in his fifth consecutive Commonwealth Games in Glasgow from July 23-Aug 3.
Hasli, who has been representing the country since 1997, will compete in the Selangor Open at the Subang Shooting Range from Jan 9-12 in a bid to qualify for the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol event at the Games.
Hasli, who won the silver in the 25m rapid fire pistol in the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games, needs to accumulate 565 points to qualify for Glasgow.
Hasli, who has a personal best of 585 points, said he should have no problems surpassing the qualifying mark.
“Although I will turn 37 next month, I am sharper than before. I get better with age. I will continue to represent the country as long as I can.
“I also want to qualify for two other pistol events – 25m standard and 25m centre fire – at the Games,” said Hasli, who finished fourth in the rapid fire in his debut at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games.
Four years later, he also finished fourth in Manchester.
At the 2006 Melbourne Games, Hasli won the bronze and in 2010 he clinched the silver.
Hasli was also the first Malaysian to bag a silver in the Asian Championships in Kuwait in 2007 to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
“I am the most experienced pistol shooter in the country and the NSAM (National Shooting Association of Malaysia) are banking on me to deliver a medal in Glasgow.
“I will be competing in my fifth Commonwealth Games and I will go all out to clinch my first gold,” said Hasli, who won the silver in the rapid fire pistol at the H.H. Amir of Kuwait Grand Prix in Kuwait City last year.
Hasli will be preparing for the Glasgow Games by taking part in two legs of the World Cup in Munich (June 4-13) and Beijing (July 1-10).
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