Malaysian Open chance to qualify for 2023 SEA Games - Jia Xin

Ngu Jia Xin (File pix)
09/01/2023 03:18 PM

By Amiril Muttaqien Meketar

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 (Bernama) -- National women's high jumper Ngu Jia Xin is determined to exceed the qualification limit set for the 2023 SEA Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia when competing in the 2023 Malaysian Open next month.

She said that she needs to make a jump of at least 1.75 metres (m) in the meet that will take place at the National Sports Council Mini Satdium, Bukit Jalil, here, to qualify for her second appearance at the biennial Games.

"Right now I'm really working hard to go to the SEA Games, it's been a while since I made a jump of at least 1.75m after the last time I did it in a meet in Kuala Lumpur in 2021 with 1.76m.

"However, what I need to do right now is to believe in myself," she said when contacted by Bernama.

If she succeeds in getting a ticket to Phnom Penh , the Malaysia Games defending champion said she is expected to undergo training in the hometown of her coach, Alex Gasparyan, in Uzbekistan this April for two weeks to prepare herself to compete in Cambodia.

Jia Xin also admitted that she needs to compete in at least two international tournaments to get her rhythm ahead of the 2023 SEA Games, which is scheduled to take place from May 5 to 17.

The 22-year-old only managed to finish in fifth place with a jump of 1.65m when making her SEA Games debut in Hanoi last May.

The Pantai Remis-born athlete's personal best is 1.79m which she did at the 2019 Perak Open.

-- BERNAMA