A MISTAKE in strategy denied Daniel Bego his second gold medal on the final day of the swimming competition in Naypyitaw yesterday.
Daniel, however, still managed to equal his season best in the 200m freestyle by finishing the race in 1:51.10 seconds for the silver medal.
Vietnam's Hoang Quy Phuoc, who was edged by Bego for the 400m freestyle title two days ago, won the gold in 1:50.64 while Singapore's Quah Zheng Wen touched the wall in third spot in 1:51.66.
The Sarawak-born said Quy Phuoc swam a smart race by being aggressive from the start.
"I made a mistake by allowing him to get away in the opening 150 metres. I also kicked a bit late in one of the laps. I could have done better but am still satisfied with my race as I equalled my season best timing," said Bego at the Wunna Theikdi Aquatic Centre.
"I was confident going into the race but Quy Phuoc was aggressive as he was determined to beat me. It is, however, a good end to my season in the Sea Games."
Bego's one gold and three silver effort on his return to the Sea Games augurs well for Malaysia ahead of upcoming competitions. His performance here will motivate him to achieve greater heights with the Incheon Asian Games being his main target next year.
The 24-year-old was close to retiring from swimming following three shoulder injuries, which forced him out of the last edition in Indonesia, two years ago.
Bego was Malaysia's only medallist yesterday as others failed to make the podium despite giving their best.
Malaysia ended their campaign with a haul of four gold, four silver and two bronze, which exceeded the Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia's (ASUM) target of three titles.
Aquatics is expecting a clean sweep of eight gold from the four-day diving event, which starts tomorrow.
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| Daniel Bego competing in the 200m freestyle final at the Wunna Theikdi Aquatic Centre yesterday. (Inset) Bego with his silver medal. |
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