Malaysia finally land a medal in S. Korea through discus thrower Irfan
He recorded a throw of 58.82m to finish behind China's gold medallist Abuduaini Tuergong (63.47m) and Japan's Masateru Yugaimi (60.38m).
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The Star
16-06-2025
- The Star
Speedy Karim - new MA president, acts fast by starting B10 project to produce sprinters
Malaysia's (from left) Khairul Hafiz Jantan, Mohd Arsyad Md Saat, Jonathan Nyepa and Mohd Azeem Fahmi after the 4x100m men's relays final during the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. PETALING JAYA: A specialised sprint programme, dubbed B10 (below 10), will be one of the projects that will start under the newly elected Malaysian Athletics (MA) president Datuk Karim Ibrahim. The project will be aimed at producing two sprinters capable of clocking sub-10 seconds in the 100m. "If we can get two such athletes, we can push the 4x100m relay team towards the Olympic Games final," said Karim. "We haven't done that since Dr. Mani Jegathesan reached the semi-finals in the 1968 Mexico Olympics. It's time we changed that narrative." But Karim, who was elected for the post that he had helmed before from 2015 to 2019 on Sunday, was quick to note that goals must be backed by the right processes. Reflecting on Malaysia's solitary bronze medal at the recent Asian Track and Field Championships, Karim stressed the need to overhaul the current approach to athlete preparation. "We must study the data from Southeast Asia and plan long-term. Other countries in the region are progressing, we must catch up,' he said. "For the Thailand SEA Games in December, we will give our target 45 days before the Games." Karim also addressed the lingering discontent stemming from the heated campaign that preceded the elections. He acknowledged the concerns raised by athletes and assured that proper channels would be created to ensure their voices are heard and acted upon. "I prioritise the athletes. Their well-being, safety, and trust must come first. When they feel secure, they will perform. We need every stakeholder on the same page to make this happen." Karim also addressed the lingering discontent stemming from the heated campaign that preceded the elections. "I prioritise the athletes. Their well-being, safety, and trust must come first. When they feel secure, they will perform." Backing Karim is his deputy, Datuk Wan Hashim Wan Abdullah, who promised swift action to mend broken relationships and address long-standing issues without delay. "Yes, we have problems. But we won't wait four years to solve them. We'll do the firefighting now and move forward. "If we can solve things amicably, including the issue with the Federal Territory Kuala Lumpur Athletics Association (FTKLAA), I believe all parties will come to the table." FTKLAA did not participate in Sunday's MA elections after the High Court dismissed their injunction to halt the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The legal action stemmed from a recent constitutional amendment by MA, which mandates FTKLAA to merge with the Federal Territories of Putrajaya and Labuan. However, the consolidation process could not be finalised in time for the AGM, leading to FTKLAA's exclusion from the voting process. Wan Hashim also reaffirmed that distractions and petty issues will not derail their focus. "I will assist the president in fulfilling our agenda. The athletes must come first. That's non-negotiable." In a dignified transition, former MA president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim offered his full support to Karim and urged all affiliates to come together once more. "There are always winners and losers in any election. But what matters now is the athletes. That must be our priority. I'll continue helping through my role with Perlis Athletics and will support Karim in his leadership."
New Straits Times
01-06-2025
- New Straits Times
Alarming wake-up call for Malaysia in Gumi
KUALA LUMPUR: This is an alarming wake-up call for Malaysian athletics. And the national association had better buck up before it's too late, before Malaysia flop again in track and field at the December Sea Games in Thailand. Malaysia have just found out that they are far behind their Southeast Asian rivals in athletics. The national squad won only one bronze medal in the Asian Athletics Championships which ended in Gumi, South Korea on Saturday. In comparison, the Philippines won one gold and Thailand took four silvers and three bronzes. Singapore bagged two silvers and Vietnam got one silver and one bronze. This does not augur well for Malaysia in track and field at the Sea Games; the writing is on the wall in Gumi. A total of 29 Malaysian athletes (18 men and 11 women) competed in the Asian Championships. Forty-five golds were at stake, and Malaysia could only win one bronze, through Irfan Shamsuddin in men's discus with an effort of 58.82m. It was Irfan's third medal in five Asian appearances; he won silver in Bhubaneswar, 2017 and bronze in Bangkok in 2023. China topped the medals table in Gumi with 19 golds, nine silvers and four bronzes, India (8-10-6) were second and Japan (5-11-12) third. Despairingly for Malaysia, even established athletes like Shereen Samson Vallabouy, Khairul Hafiz Jantan, Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli, Russel Alexander Nasir Taib, Grace Wong and Queenie Ting flopped in Gumi. There were high expectations on the United States-based Shereen, winner of the women's 400m bronze in the 2023 Asian Games. But she clocked a poor 54.80 (way off her national record of 51.79) to finish a disappointing fifth in the heats and even failed to qualify for the semi-finals. Khairul, who won the men's 100m gold in the 2017 KL Sea Games, has a personal best (PB) of 10.18, but clocked 10.71 to finish sixth in the heats. Zaidatul, who holds the national women's 100m record of 11.49, ran a season best of 11.65 in the heats, but in the final, clocked 12.01 to finish eighth and last. Russel, who has a 200m PB of 20.71, failed to qualify for the semi-finals. He clocked 21.71 to finish fifth in the heats. Hammer thrower Grace recorded 59.15m to finish 10th among 12 athletes, and her effort was three metres short of her 62.48m national record. Queenie recorded 47.96m — more than four metres short of her national 52.77m record — in the women's discus to finish eighth among 10 athletes. The men's 4x100m quartet were disqualified after a botched final baton exchange. They really need to improve on this for the Sea Games. The few commendable performances came from Sea Games bronze medallist Wan Fazri Wan Zahari, who did a PB of 1:47.64 in the men's 800m heats to finish fourth. It was a whisker away from the national record of 1:47.37 set by B. Rajkumar in 1985. Wan Fazri's time was better than the Sea Games record of 1:48.29 set by Malaysia's Samson Vallabouy in 1989. Newcomer Armin Zahryl Abdul Latif clocked a PB of 13.85 in the men's 110m hurdles to finish third in his heats. It's better than the bronze medal time of 13.86 clocked by Filipino John Cabang in the 2023 Sea Games. Sea Games champion Umar Osman ran a season best of 46.25 in the men's 400m final to finish eighth. Jonah Chang also did a season best of 18.05m in men's shot putt to finish 10th among 15 athletes. Team manager Datuk R. Annamalai said that some athletes could not perform to their best due to lack of competitions. "The only competition the national athletes had this year was the Cahya Mata Super Series at Merdeka Stadium last month, but some of the field athletes did not get a chance because there were no throwing events. "Our athletes need exposure and we will be sending them for more competitions like the Thailand Open this month." Malaysia Athletics (MA), which will be having elections on June 15 to elect office bearers, needs a president who is able to raise the standards of the nation's athletes. At the 2023 Sea Games, a total of 48 golds were offered in track and field, but Malaysian athletes won only five golds, three silvers and 11 bronzes, which was rather disappointing. MA has only six months to get its athletes in shape for the Sea Games or else Malaysian athletes can expect to be also-rans in the biennial regional showcase.
The Star
31-05-2025
- The Star
Gumi outing a valuable experience for our athletes, says Ballard
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian athletes may have left the Asian Track and Field Championships with mixed emotions, but the overall takeaway was clear – it was crucial learning experience ahead of Thailand SEA Games in December. Malaysian Athletics (MA) technical director Robert Ballard believes the recent outing in Gumi, South Korea, gave the team valuable insights, from medal-winning highs to painful relay missteps.
