Three Malaysian Masters Athletes Clinch Silver Medal in South Korea
GEORGE TOWN: Three national Masters athletes, including a representative from Penang, achieved a proud success when they won the silver medal in the men’s M50 10‑kilometre race walk team event at the 2026 World Masters Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, last Saturday.
Sukhraj Singh Dhillon, 57, together with his two teammates Suresh Kumar, 54, and Elangovan Sithiram Suppiah, 70, managed to finish the race under challenging conditions as the competition took place with temperatures around 33 to 34 degrees Celsius and high humidity.
Sukhraj’s son, Sachmeer Raj Singh Dhillon, 25, said the achievement is very meaningful for his father who has been involved in the race walk event since the age of about 18, and this is the first time Malaysia has won a medal after 43 years.
“This is the first time my father has participated in the World Masters Championships and they managed to bring home a silver medal together with two teammates. It is something very joyful and proud.
“He has indeed been active in this sport for a long time and has represented Penang and Malaysia in various championships, including Masters competitions and open events both domestically and abroad,” he said when contacted by Bernama yesterday.
Sachmeer said his father, who is also the Vice President of the Penang Masters Athletics Association (PMAA), is indeed active in athletics, and the three athletes are not newcomers as they have been actively involved since a young age.
He said they have participated in various championships, marathons and open competitions at the state, national and international levels.
According to Sachmeer, the training they underwent was not merely preparation over a few months, but rather the result of experience and continuous commitment over decades in the race walk sport.
“His father, who still works as a logistics manager, continues to train actively and participate in competitions even though he is in his 50s.
“The success of the trio is also proud because they are among the earliest Malaysian athletes to contribute a medal in Masters competition at the world championships in South Korea,” he said.
He also expressed appreciation to PMAA, the Penang State Sports Council (MSN), the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), the Malaysian Masters Athletics Association (MMAA) and the Malaysian Race Walking Association (RWAM) for their support to the team.
BERNAMA