KUCHING: Monday (Aug 19) is set to be a golden bonanza for 2024 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) athletes as a whopping 59 gold medals will be up for grabs, including for the coveted 100-metre blue riband event.
The Sarawak Stadium is set to be the centre of attraction as athletics gets underway, with the climax being the men's and women's 100m finals.
Track and field will also be offering another seven gold medals in men's 20,000-metre (m) walk, triple jump, javelin, shot put; women's high jump, 5,000m and the 4x400m mixed relay.
With 10 golds up for grabs on the first day of aquatics at the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre, expect some records in swimming and diving to tumble.
Diving offers two gold medals in the men's 3m springboard and women's 10m platform synchronised events while, over at the swimming pool, the men's and women's 50m backstroke, 100m breaststroke, 200m freestyle and 400m individual medley finals will be contested.
Meanwhile, the fourth and penultimate day of taekwondo competition at the Unity Stadium here will see six gold medals on offer in kyorugi (sparring) - men's finweight (below 54kg), flyweight (below 58kg) and bantameight (below 63kg); and women's finweight (below 46kg), flyweight (below 49kg) and bantamweight (below 53kg).
Over at the Sarawak Shooting Range, six gold medals will be at stake in women's 10m air pistol individual and team; men's 25m sport pistol individual and team; and women's 50m rifle prone individual and team.
The curtain will come down on rhythmic gymnastics tomorrow once the last five gold medals are given out for the individual hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon and group exercise.
While muay thai will see exponents vying for four gold medals, the weightlifters will be flexing their muscles for glory in three categories - men's below 55kg, men's below 61kg and women's below 45kg - at the Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan Sports Hall in Betong.
Two golds will be at stake in BMX cycling, followed by petanque (2 golds), karate (2), fencing (2), softball (2), bowling (2), squash (1), lawn bowls (1), tennis (1) and men's T20 cricket (1). --BERNAMA