KUCHING: Two young guns have earned the title of sharpshooters at the Sarawak Malaysia Games (Sukma) after each clinched their sixth gold medal on the fourth day of competition at the Petra Jaya Shooting Range.
Pahang's Cheah Zen Hong was on target again as he secured two more golds in the men's 25-metre pistol individual and team event today.
The 18-year-old had a shaky start in the first round but he made a strong comeback to win the gold, scoring 574 points, breaking the 16-year-old Sukma record set by Pahang's Khairul Azri Mohd Roslan (571 points).
The silver and bronze medals went to Terengganu's Azahari Azrin Sallehin and Ahmad Badrul Hisyam Banin Al Ghazali, with 533 points and 530 points, respectively.
Zen Hong, along with Zulkefli Azrul Akmal and Zunaidi Putera Akram Idham, also won gold in the men's 25m pistol team event with a stellar performance, earning a total of 1,691 points.
Hosts Sarawak, represented by Abdullah Amirul Hakim, Kelukin Justin Joannes and Abdullah Syah Nurwandi Iqwan won silver with 1,639 points while the bronze went to Terengganu's trio of Azahari Azrin Sallehin, Mohd Shahrizan Shah Badli, and Ahmad Badrul Hisyam Banin Al Ghazali (1,630 points).
Earlier, Zen Hong made headlines for breaking the record held by Abdul Hadi Abdul Malik from Pahang in the 2012 edition of the men's 10m air pistol individual event.
Meanwhile, Negri Sembilan's female sharpshooter Gan Chen Jie also proved unbeatable, bringing home six gold medals, the latest in the women's 10m air rifle individual and team event.
So far, she has broken four Sukma records in two events, including the 50m three positions individual event and recently, the women's 10m air rifle individual event.
Chen Jie secured the gold medal with 248.2 points, surpassing the previous mark of 243.7 set by a Penang athlete at the 2022 Sukma in Kuala Lumpur.
Penang's Nur Maisarah Dzulkifli took silver (245.9 points) while Sarawak's Kaira Ramadhani Azman won bronze (220.4 points).
Chen Jie also helped Negri Sembilan secure victory in the team category alongside Aina Zahara Baharum and Yee Xuan Tan with a combined score of 1,846.4 points.
Their performance outshone the Penang team of Nur Maisarah, Nur Sumayyah Dzulkifli and Situ Zulaika Haira Rosman who had to settle for second place (1,844.1 points).
The bronze medal was claimed by Sabah's trio of Chenny Herman, Nurhafizah Didin and Nur Aina Nastasya Anderson (1,819.7 points).
Chen Jie described her six gold medals, including two new Sukma records, as the most memorable moments of her shooting career.
"I am grateful to everyone who has supported and helped me achieve this success at the Sukma Sarawak.
"My only goal was to make Negri Sembilan proud, without setting high expectations. However, this is all a blessing, and I will try to bring home more medals on the final day of the shooting events," said Chen Jie, who will compete in the 10m mixed air rifle event tomorrow.