PHNOM PENH: Hafizin Mansor's need for speed saw him picking up windsurfing, and the decision landed him the gold medal in the RSX event at the Sea Games here today.
The Langkawi-born had a slow start on the first day of the competition in Sihanoukville by finishing third.
However, he quickly found the wind in the subsequent races and collected 10 points to top the standings and win the title, finishing ahead of Singapore's Jayson Jian Sen Tan (15 points) and Cambodia's Sem Brospov (21).
"I had a good time sailing here. The wind blew nicely, and I hit good speed to win the gold in my first Sea Games.
"I picked up RSX because you have to sail really fast when the wind is good, and I like speed. I feel windsurfing suits me well.
"On the final day, I focused on avoiding making mistakes."
Meanwhile, Izry Hafiezy Fitry topped the men's RS: One event with 25 points, followed by Cambodia's Keo Phearun (27) and Denver Castillo of the Philippines (34).
"I sacrificed Hari Raya with my family, and it paid dividends today. I arrived early here to adapt to the wind conditions.
"I hope I can progress from this success."