Afiq Ali Hanafiah stands a chance to defend his Commonwealth Games bronze medal, or even improve its colour, after reaching the men's 100m T11/T12 (visual impairment) final.
On Wednesday, the Malaysian para-athlete clocked 11.29s in his preliminary heat behind South Africa's Jonathan Ntutu (10.89s) and Namibia's Ananias Shikongo (11.12s) — two of his familiar foes as they competed in the 2018 edition, with Ntutu taking home gold.
Advertisement
The 27-year-old still managed to advance to the final for being one of the fastest runners at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.
Englishman Zachary Shaw, who crossed the line first in the other qualifying heat with a time of 11.01s, completed the four-man line-up for the final.
Afiq improved on his time of 11.45s that won him a silver medal at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai earlier this year, but it was slower than his time of 11.28s set in Gold Coast four years ago.
Apa peluang Skuad Ping Pong Negara lepasi pusingan 16??#SukanKomanwel2022 #SemangatMenyengat pic.twitter.com/Dw2o7G3xhc
— ASTRO ARENA (@ASTROARENA) August 3, 2022
