KUALA LUMPUR: Shot putter Adi Alifuddin Hussin only started training two months ago after undergoing a shoulder operation in April.
But the big Terengganu athlete is confident of a podium finish in Palembang.
Adi will be competing under Category B this time after failing to meet the qualifying mark mainly because of the injury.
He won the silver in Laos 2009 with a hurl of 16.92m, which erased the previous national mark of 16.67m set by his coach Mohd Abdul Rahim in the Malaysian Open in Penang in 1995.
He then rewrote the record three times last year.
The first was in the Taiwan Open in April (17.18m) followed by 17.31m at the Sukma (Malaysia Games) two months later. The third, 17.38m, came a month after in Austria.
The 23-year-old Adi, who will be competing in his third SEA Games, said: “This year hasn’t been good for me.
“I injured my right shoulder during training and had to undergo surgery. I haven’t featured in any competition after suffering the injury.”
Adi said that although he is not in the best of shape, he has the strength and power to win a medal.
“I have managed a distance of 17 metres in training and believe I can improve further in competition..
“Even my coach Nazar is confident that I will be able to do it,” said Adi, who will be leaving to Palembang today.
Only 16 track and field athletes qualified for the Games on merit while 18 others will compete under Category B.
Under category B, the association will bear the expenses of the athlete.
Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) will, however, reimburse them if the athletes win at least a silver medal.
THE STAR
But the big Terengganu athlete is confident of a podium finish in Palembang.
Adi will be competing under Category B this time after failing to meet the qualifying mark mainly because of the injury.
He won the silver in Laos 2009 with a hurl of 16.92m, which erased the previous national mark of 16.67m set by his coach Mohd Abdul Rahim in the Malaysian Open in Penang in 1995.
He then rewrote the record three times last year.
The first was in the Taiwan Open in April (17.18m) followed by 17.31m at the Sukma (Malaysia Games) two months later. The third, 17.38m, came a month after in Austria.
The 23-year-old Adi, who will be competing in his third SEA Games, said: “This year hasn’t been good for me.
“I injured my right shoulder during training and had to undergo surgery. I haven’t featured in any competition after suffering the injury.”
Adi said that although he is not in the best of shape, he has the strength and power to win a medal.
“I have managed a distance of 17 metres in training and believe I can improve further in competition..
“Even my coach Nazar is confident that I will be able to do it,” said Adi, who will be leaving to Palembang today.
Only 16 track and field athletes qualified for the Games on merit while 18 others will compete under Category B.
Under category B, the association will bear the expenses of the athlete.
Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) will, however, reimburse them if the athletes win at least a silver medal.
THE STAR
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