Nairobi: National discus thrower Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin has set his sights on a new challenge-winning a gold medal at the Asian Games. This comes after he secured his seventh consecutive gold at the 2025 Thailand SEA Games, further cementing his dominance in the event.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Muhammad Irfan is confident that his target is realistic, given his current performance and the positive progress in his training. The athlete from Negeri Sembilan emphasized the importance of thorough preparation and comprehensive support to achieve this goal at the upcoming quadrennial sports event in Japan.
“I see a clear picture now, which is the Asian Games gold. It is something reasonable and achievable, not just a fantasy,” said the 30-year-old athlete following the mens discus final at Suphachalasai Stadium. His record-breaking throw of 60.23 meters in the second attempt not only secured the gold medal but also set a new Games record, surpassing the previous mark of 59.50m set in 1999 by Wong Tuck Yim of Singapore.
In the competition, Thailands Srisai Kiadpradid claimed the silver medal with a throw of 53.82m, while Filipino athlete Ricaforte Russel Je took bronze with a distance of 53.34m.
Muhammad Irfans progress on the Asian stage has been notable since his debut, where he finished 12th at the Incheon 2014 edition with a throw of 53.86m. He improved to fifth place in the Jakarta-Palembang 2018 edition with a 57.70m throw and secured sixth place at Hangzhou 2022 with a personal best of 58.94m.
Reflecting on his SEA Games journey, Muhammad Irfan shared that he did not have specific targets during his debut in Myanmar in 2013. However, he began setting more defined goals, such as chasing the Games record, in subsequent editions in Singapore and Malaysia.
The athlete credited his recent success to adjustments in his training regimen with coach Robert Fazekas, particularly during the challenging winter preparation period. “We changed our approach; we reduced the training load a bit, and it worked,” he explained.
Muhammad Irfan also expressed satisfaction with his latest achievement, feeling he was close to surpassing the national record. “If the throw exceeds 60m, it needs to be really strong. I am 100 per cent confident I can do 63m to 64m because I have reached that distance in training,” he stated. His national record stands at 62.55m, set in May 2017 in Austria.
His victory marks the fifth gold for the national athletics squad at the SEA Games, joining wins by Grace Wong in womens hammer throw, Jonah Chang Rigan in mens shot put, Nani Sahirah Maryata in womens shot put, and Andre Anura in mens long jump.