Khairulnizam confident of sailing to two SEA games gold medals

ALOR STAR: Sailor Khairulnizam Mohd Afendy is confident of winning two gold medals, each in the men's individual and the team Laser Standard events, in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games in August.
Khairulnizam, 24, the gold medal winner in the 2015 Singapore SEA Games and a qualifier of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, hopes to spring a surprise in the biennial regional sporting event.
"I hope to spring a surprise by winning two gold medals in the SEA Games. This award is a real morale booster," he told reporters after receiving the 2016 Kedah Sportsman of the Year award at the Kedah Sports Awards night at Wisma Dewan Seri Negri, Wisma Darul Aman here, last night .
Khairulnizam, the 2016 World Cup finalist, said he was still recovering from knee surgery in January but was confident of winning the two gold medals.
"I have another two weeks before being allowed to set sail. It is rather late to prepare for the Laser Individual and Team events but I am still confident of doing well," said one of the world's 20 best sailors.
Meanwhile, Khairulnizam's sister, Kharunneeta, 22, hopes the training in Pattaya, Thailand in the near future will further sharpen her sailing skills in the Women's Laser Radial event.
"I am recovering from a back injury and have just started training. I hope the training in Pattaya can polish my sailing techniques," said Kharuneeta, who won the 2016 Kedah Sportswoman of the Year award.
Meanwhile, State Youth and Sports, Arts and Culture and Human Development Committee chairman Datuk Aminuddin Omar said the improved infrastructure at the National Sailing Complex in Langkawi will boost the morale of the sailors.
"The restoration of the National Sailing Complex by the National Sports Council will produce more sailors of calibre as proven by the crowning of sailors as the Kedah Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year.
"More importantly, the National Sailing Complex will be able to produce sailors who will represent Kedah at national level and Malaysia at international level," he added. — Bernama