KUALA LUMPUR: Sea Games karate champion R. Sharmendran will have more pride in Phnom Penh next year — he has been named as the Malaysian contingent's flag bearer.
The man from Balakong will be out to lead by example — as he seeks his fourth Sea Games gold.
"I'm grateful for OCM's (Olympic Council of Malaysia) belief in me.
"I'm thrilled to hear that I will be the flag bearer for our contingent at the Sea Games. It's really a huge honour for me.
"This is a great morale booster for me to defend my gold in Cambodia," he said yesterday.
Sharmendran made his Sea Games debut in 2013 in Myanmar, winning silver in the men's kumite below 67kg and team event.
He continued to rise — winning gold — below 75kg and a team bronze — in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur Sea Games,
Notably, Sharmendran successfully defended his gold at the 2019 and 2021 editions.
OCM president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria said Sharmendran was picked to carry the Jalur Gemilang based on his Sea Games feats, and he is also expected to triumph again in Phnom Penh.
"Sharmendran was selected for the honour of national flag bearer in recognition for his achievements in the Sea Games," said Norza.
Sharmendran, 31, is the second karateka to be honoured with the flag bearer duty — after R. Puvaneswaran in 2003 — at the Sea Games.