THE gold rush gets livelier as athletes from 22 sports get into action with their sights set on the 25 gold medals at stake on the second day of the Games proper.

Swimming starts its programme today with six gold medals on offer in the men’s 50m backstroke, men’s 400m freestyle, men’s 50m butterfly, women’s 200m butterfly, women’s 100m backstroke and women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.

Controversies on his remarks aside, expect some explosive action from the pool, as Singapore’s Olympic hero Joseph Schooling will certainly be the centre of attraction for fans and spectators.

Having tasted victory at the highest level, Schooling is not taking the SEA Games lightly as he zooms in his sight on winning the 50m butterfly, 100m butterfly, 100m freestyle as well as helping his teammates in the 4×100 freestyle, 4x200m freestyle and 4x100m medley.

Hosts Malaysia will be eyeing few more golds from wushu which has six golds for Monday’s (Aug 21) event where optional quangshu, women’s optional qiangshu, men’s optional daoshu+gunshu, women’s optionan daoshu, women’s optional taijijian and men’s optional nando and nangun will be contested.

Archery continues with the men and women’s team recurve finals action at NSC Synthetic Turf field and with only a day left before the competition wraps up with the mixed team recurve finals on Tuesday (22 Aug), Malaysia will be looking to end their campaign on a high note.

Following Mohd Rafiq’s golden feat in yesterday’s men’s individual bowling competition at Sunway Pyramid, the national keglers are all fired up to strike the two gold medals at stake in the men and women’s doubles.

Cycling starts today with the men and women’s criterium programme slated in Putrajaya Square at 11am (Malaysian time) while fencing action also begins early at MITEC’s Hall 6 where women’s foil and men’s sabre gold medals are up for grabs.

Fourteen triathletes from Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, Singapore and hosts Malaysia are down to compete in the men’s triathlon at Putrajaya Water Sports Complex, while 8 competitors including Maaysia’s Irene Chong and Zoe Natasha Bowden will be in action in the women’s competition.

The Men’s double trap event starts off at the Subang Shooting Range with Benjamin Khor and Eng Wei Jin looking to open Malaysia’s campaign in shooting on a right footing.

Women’s regu winner will be decided on Monday (21 Aug) as the men’s team doubles continue with its group matches including an exciting Group A match between Thailand and Malaysia at Titiwangsa Stadium.

Other competition slated for the day include preliminary rounds of basketball, boxing, cricket, football, futsal and ice hockey while petanque, sailing, squash, tennis and volleyball will start their the competition today (21 Aug)

As of 10am (Monday 21 Aug) Malaysia now lead the overall standing with 17 gold medals including the early morning gold from wushu.

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