Ju Pha now favourite to win Sportswoman of the Games

7/06/2011

KUALA LUMPUR: With dad Somnet Lim watching from the stands, track cyclist Ju Pha was all fired up to deliver the cheers.

And not even the punishing heat could stop her as she extended her perfect campaign in the individual disciplines of the Sukma competition by bagging two more gold medals for Perlis at the Cheras Velodrome yesterday.

Ju Pha raced away to an easy victory in the 3km individual pursuit final in the morning. And there was no rest for the 18-year-old as she had to immediately go in for the start of the knockout rounds of the sprint event.

But it was to her credit that she managed to overcome the opposition from the first round until the final before producing an explosive finish to knock out main rival Lauretta Eva Adrian of Sabah in two heats to claim her third gold medal of the Games and the second for Perlis for the day.

Ju Pha had won the scratch race last Saturday to become her state’s first-ever Sukma gold medallist in cycling.

And the 18-year-old looks set to be crowned the Best Sportswoman of the Games for her exploits on the track thus far.

Ju Pha said the presence of her father gave her added motivation even though she was a bit tired in the afternoon. Her father took leave from work and took a bus from Chuping to KL to watch his daughter race yesterday.

“I’m glad I did not disappoint my dad who came all the way here,” she said.

“I managed to win all the events I competed in thus far. I will out to win more gold medals from the 500m time trial and keirin events tomorrow.

“I hope the weather will not be as hot as today. It was difficult for everyone to stay focus.”

Ju Pha is the only cyclist still active in competition from a pioneer batch of 30 young recruits taken from a Thai community in Perlis six years ago.

Malacca rider Muhd Arfy Qhairant Amran, who is the reigning Asian junior champion, failed in his bid to add the Sukma men’s sprint title when he was ousted in two heats by Fakruddin Daud of Johor in the semi-finals.

But Fakruddin, the son of 1978 Bangkok Asian Games gold medallist, the late Daud Ibrahim, met his match in Mohd Fattah Amri Zaid of Kedah in the final.

Fattah defeated team-mate Mohd Hazmir Adenan, also in two heats, to reach the final and he sparked off wild celebrations among the Kedah supporters by beating Fakruddin in three heats in the final for his first Sukma gold medal.

The Kedah squad were later given a stern warning after their supporters climbed over the stands and raced across the track while the riders were still slowing down after the race.

The curtain will come down on the track cycling programme with four gold medals at stake in the men’s and women’s time trial and keirin today.