KUALA TERENGGANU: The Sultan of Terengganu, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, is expected to star for the national team at the upcoming Games equestrian endurance event.
The sultan has been shortlisted for the event along with 11 others in the team, due to be finalised soon, for the 80km event at the Terengganu International Equestrian Park (TIEP) in Lembah Bidong, Setiu on Aug 20.
There are two gold medals offered for the individual and team endurance races.
Sultan Mizan has vast experience, having competed in numerous international equestrian endurance events.
Equestrian Association of Malaysia (EAM) vice-president Mohamad Din Mat said Sultan Mizan was listed in the Sea Games squad by virtue of his top four ranking in the world by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI).
The sultan won third place in the Sultan Mizan Cup International Endurance Riding Championship at TIEP last year.
Representing Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable (RTES), Sultan Mizan recorded an average speed of 16.257 k/ph in the race.
Apart from Sultan Mizan, the others shortlised for the endurance race are Asri Abdul Aziz, Mohd Sulaiman Muda, Mohd Bulkhari Rozali, Mohd T. Aseef Abdul Mutalib, Mohd Fuad Hashim, Mohd Adhwa Aziz, Azizatul Asma Abdullah, Mohd Yusran Yusuf, Muhd Faris Haikal Mohd Hassan Sa’ari, Mohd Subairi Ramly and Mohd Faris Syafiq Mohd Hassan Sa’ari.
Apart from the endurance race, equestrian sport at the Sea Games will also include dressage (Aug 22-24) and showjumping (Aug 26-28) at the 3Q Equestrian Centre in Rawang, Selangor.
Malaysia bagged all four gold in the individual and team events of dressage and showjumping at the Games in Kuala Lumpur in 2001 and Korat, Thailand in 2007.
“This time, there will be seven gold medals at stake, including two in endurance (individual and team) and one in polo,” said Mohamad.
Meanwhile, Equestrian Association of Malaysia (EAM) vice-president Datuk Quzier Ambak, who is also the dressage and showjumping programme chairman, said they would be relying on a mixed team of seasoned campaigners and youngsters to end their 10-year wait for a clean sweep.
This is despite EAM setting only a two-gold target from the endurance and polo teams, said Quzier, who was in the showjumping team that won gold at Korat 2007.
Quizier added that Thailand would continue to be the main threat in showjumping and dressage, while the Philippines and Indonesia also had a few good riders.
Those shortlisted for showjumping and dressage are Sharmini Ratnasingham, Qabil Ambak, Mohd Nabil Fikri, Izad Rushdi Paiza, Neelan Ratnasingham, Praveen Nair, Edric Lee, Quzandria Nur, Quek Sue Yian and Natalya Idris.
Quizier said that the showjumping and dressage teams had been preparing for the Sea Games since last October at different training bases in Europe to hone their skills. Qabil, Quzandria and Sue Yian were in Holland; Sharmini and Neelan in Germany; Praveen and Natalya in Belgium; and Edric in London, England.
Sharmini won Malaysia’s solitary gold in the individual showjumping at the Singapore Games in 2015.
Malaysia will also rely on siblings Qabil and Quzandria who are back in the Sea Games team after a 10-year absence.
Qabil is the only rider to have won all four gold in showjumping and dressage at the Kuala Lumpur Games in 2001 and Korat in 2007.
Meanwhile, TIEP is up and ready to host the equestrian endurance race judged from the outcome of the pre-Sea Games event.
The event saw the participation of 72 riders from Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, New Zealand and hosts Malaysia across three events - 40km, 80km and STC Endurance Challenge.
Technical and volunteer committee chairman Che Mohd Afandi Mohammad said upgrading work at TIEP had been completed.
The works included putting up signages, upgrading of trail, stables and other facilities for riders and officials.
Special stables have been built to serve as quarantine facilities for horses brought in from abroad.
Security and safety are a top prio
rity, with some 300 officials from the police, Rela and Armed Forces assigned for duties
at the venue.
To ensure smooth media coverage, TIEP also has a media room equipped with broadband and internet facilities while the computerised system will ensure efficient output and dissemination of results.