| Runners in the boys’ Under-10 4x100m passing the baton. |
SEREMBAN: Nanthakumaran Paanerselvam was the surprise package at the recent Seremban Schools Sports Council (MSSDS) Athletics Championships at the Paroi Stadium.
As a 12-year-old, the then SJKT Lobak school champion competed in the 2008 meet but returned home empty handed.
Spotted a year later by his athletics teacher and MSSDS technical chairman R. Sathiyakumar at SMK St Paul (SPI), Nanthakumaran took up runs, throws and jumps.
The lad finally won his first high jump medal, a gold in the boys' Under-14 event at SPI's sports meet in 2010.
At the school selection on March 3, he cleared 1.54m but then smashed the MSSDS meet record of 1.66m with a height of 1.71m on March 22, albeit after a heavy downpour.
Silver medallist Mohd Asyraf Jamaluddin of SMK Pendeta Za'aba cleared 1.58m while bronze medallist Azreef Haeqal Zaiba of SMK Tamak Semarak Nilai leaped 1.54m.
Then during the Quatathlon's second event on March 28 in the searing afternoon heat, he erased his six-day-old record with a jump of 1.76m.
By accumulating a total of 2,141 points, he went on to win the Quatathlon with 18.66s in the 110m hurdles (463 points), 1.76m (593) in the high jump, 5.10m (402) in the long jump and 2min 30.9secs in the 800m (683).
SMK Seri Ampangan's Mohd Azri Ismail Ahmad garnered 1,808 points for the silver while third placed Mohd Asyraff Hayqal Zainal of SMK Pendeta Za'ba scored 1,748 for third place.
Quatathlon is a combined event designed for Under-15 athletes for the first time in Malaysia by East Seremban (MSSDST) coach G.M.K. Kalaichelvan in 1998.
As an alternate runner in the 4x400m heats, Nanthakumaran helped SPI qualify for the final.
The humble champion said: "My father passed away when I was just a year old. I dedicate my gold medals to my mother Malliga Krishnan.
"Although stricken by diabetes and depending on my late father's pension, she instilled discipline and good values in me which have made me a champion athlete at the age of 15."
His more illustrious SPI teammate Lingeasen Sathiamoorthi was crowned the Best Overall Secondary School Male Athlete with three gold medals and records in the boys' Under-15 200m in 23.2s (old record 24.5s), 400m in 51.6s (56.1s) and 800m in 2:03.1s (2:14.6s) as well as anchoring the relay team to the 4x400m (3:55.2s) gold.
He also won silver in the 4x100m.
SMK Pendeta Za'aba's Amy Afarina Aiza Mohd Fadzli was awarded the Best Overall Secondary School Female Athlete.
The century sprinter grabbed the gold by clocking a new time of 13.7s to eclipse the 2008 mark of 13.8s.
She also won the girls' Under-15 200m in 29.1s and 400m in 69.4s.
A total of 36 meet records were rewritten and three equalled in the eight age-groups contested.
SMK Bukit Mewah emerged the secondary school champions with a tally of 23-8-3 while the primary schools title went to SK Sikamat with 6-5-4.
source : nst
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