
Even though he had to train alone due to the demands of his duties as an employee of the Kuala Selangor Municipal Council, it was not an obstacle for the 32-year-old athlete who was determined to perform his best at this Games.
In the fiercely contested final at the Olympic Petanque Complex, Saiful beat Laos representative Bountamy Southammavong 13-9.
Thailand’s Akkrachai Meekhong and host athlete Sok Chanmean shared the bronze medal after losing in the semifinals.
Saiful said he did not expect to win the gold medal because his preparation for the games this time was relatively short, for about a month.
“I had to do my own training due to my duties at the Kuala Selangor Municipal Council. So my gold medal was really unexpected,” said Saiful, who had won gold in the 2017 and 2019 editions, in the men’s doubles and triples events respectively.
Saiful’s victory contributed the sixth gold medal for Malaysia at the Games.
Meanwhile, Nur Durratul Iffah Yazit won bronze after losing in the semifinals in the women’s singles event.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram