While all eyes are on the SEA Games to be held in Manila later this year, only 11 athletes from the region would be represented at the Doha World Championships from Sept 27-Oct 6.
To underline how far the region lags behind at the world level, only Indonesian sprinter Lalu Muhammad Zohri would be making the trip to Doha on merit. Indonesia would also be the only SEA country to have more than one athlete at the meet. Maria Natalia Londa was given a wild card for the women’s long jump event.
Lalu’s best in the 100m is the 10.03 he set during his bronze medal winning effort at the Osaka Grand Prix earlier this year. The qualification time for the world championships is 10.05s.
The 19-year-old is the reigning Asian Junior Champion as well as reigning World Under-20 champion. He is the first Asian to ever win the gold at the world junior championships. He had clinched the gold in Tampere, Finland in a time of 10.18.
While the talented youngster is not expected to finish among the medalists, he is targeted to break his own national record at the meet.
While the SEA countries are going all out to ensure their athletes shine at the SEA Games, Indonesia has also decided that Lalu would not be making the trip to Manila.
Bob Hassan, the Indonesian athletics supremo, had announced that Lalu would be concentrating on the more competitive events instead of the SEA Games.
Malaysia’s sole representative at the meet would be high jumper Lee Hup Wei, who was given a wild card for the event. Hup Wei has a personal best of 2.28m in the event.
Athletes by event and season’s best
SOUTH EAST ASIAN ATHLETES AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
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