Runner Melinder back in training after eight-month lay-off

KUALA LUMPUR: Petite long distance runner Melinder Kaur (pic) is back in training after an eight-month lay off due to a knee injury.

The 21-year-old Penangite is just glad to be back in training.

“I am very fragile as I only weigh 35kg ... that is why I get injured easily,” said the 155cm-tall Melinder.

Melinder

“I have been advised not to train on hard surface. I only train on the bitumen track.”

Melinder, who is in the national back-up squad, said her wish is to represent Malaysia in international meets.

“I was hoping to compete in my pet event — the 3,000m steeplechase — in the 2007 Korat SEA Games but it was cancelled due to a lack of participants,” said Melinder, who has a personal best of 11:56.20 in the event.

“I am not sure whether the event will be held in the Laos SEA Games in December as there are not many women steeplechase runners in this region.”

Melinder, who bagged the Asean Schools Championships gold in the event in Chiang Mai in 2006, said he target this year was to break the national record of 11:43.79 set by Vally Michael in Seremban in 2004.

“I am training hard and I hope to break the record in the MAAU (Malaysian Amateur Athletic Union) Open in August,” said Melinder, who bagged two golds in the 3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m in Sukma (Malaysia Games) in Kedah in 2006.

She retained both the gold medals in the Terengganu Sukma last year.

Meanwhile, four men walkers are among five athletes who have qualified on merit for the Laos SEA Games in December.

The men who have qualified for the 20km walk are Lo Choon Sieng (1’29:28), Teoh Boon Lim (1’31:17), Mohd Shahrulhaizy Abdul Rahman (1’31:34) and B. Thirukumaran (1’32:41).

Their times, clocked at the Race Walking Championships in Nomi City, Japan, two weeks ago, surpassed the silver-medal effort of 1’32:57 at the last Games in Korat two years ago.

Twenty-nine-year-old Noraseela Khalid, who missed the last two SEA Games because of injuries, qualified for two events — 400m and 400m hurdles.

The Selangor runner, who is based in South Africa, clocked 56.91 in the 400m hurdles at a meet last month. The qualifying mark is 59.07.

She clocked 54.62 in the 400m, surpassing the qualifying time of 55.11.