2025 SEA Games: Jonah In A Class Of His Own To Smash Games Record Enroute To Winning Gold

BANGKOK, Dec 13 (Bernama) -- National men's shot put ace Jonah Chang Rigan was in a class of his own to sweep aside his peers and grab the gold medal enroute to smashing the Games record in the 2025 Thailand SEA Games held at the Suphachalasai Stadium here, tonight.

The Sarawak-born athlete confirmed the gold after registering a throw of 18.78 meters (m) in his third attempt, thus erasing the Games record of 18.38m held by Filipino shot put ace William III Edward Morrison, which was set in the 2019 edition in the Philippines.

The distance registered by Jonah, making his second appearence at the SEA Games, also broke his own national record of 18.46m, which was set at the Pahang Open Athletics Championships last year.

The silver medal in the event was won by Silamool Thongchai from the host nation with a throw of 16.80m, while the bronze went to Morrison.

Jonah’s gold medal success saw the 22-year-old athlete improve on his fourth-place finish during his SEA Games debut in Cambodia two years ago.

It is the third gold medal for the national athletics camp after Grace Wong Xiu Mei and Nani Sahirah Maryata won gold in the women's hammer throw and women's shot put, respectively.

Meanwhile, national javelin thrower Ng Jing Xuan claimed the silver medal in the women’s javelin throw event while also shattering the national record.

In the final, Thai athlete Wichaidit Jariya secured the gold medal with a winning throw of 55.64m while Jing Xuan finished second with a personal best of 52.17m to set a new national record.

Jing Xuan erased the national record of 49.34m previously set by Siti Nur Nadiah Othman.

The bronze medal went to Espenilla Ana Bhianca from the Philippines who registered a throw of 51.66m.

-- BERNAMA