KUALA LUMPUR: The national track athletes were a major weak link at the recent Thailand SEA Games after failing to win a single gold medal.
With Malaysia hosting the 2027 SEA Games, the spotlight is now firmly on Malaysia Athletics (MA) and what concrete plans it will implement over the next 20 months to lift the standard of track events.
Athletics offered a total of 47 gold medals in Thailand, but Malaysia returned with just five golds, five silvers and six bronzes, an underwhelming haul for a sport expected to deliver heavily.
Alarmingly, all five gold medals came from field events.
Grace Wong claimed the women’s hammer, Andre Anura Anuar won the men’s long jump, Irfan Shamsuddin took the men’s discus, while Jonah Chang and Nani Sahirah Maryata triumphed in the men’s and women’s shot put respectively.
MA’s biggest concern lies in the complete absence of medal-calibre athletes in several key track events.
Malaysia currently have no runners capable of even challenging for bronze at SEA Games level in the men’s and women’s 1500m, 3000m steeplechase, 5000m, 10,000m and marathon.
Adding pressure to the situation, the contracts of national coaches expire at the end of this month.
The National Sports Council (NSC) and MA will review the coaches’ effectiveness based on their athletes’ competitive performances.
There is growing consensus that Malaysia’s track programme requires a reset, including the recruitment of higher-calibre foreign coaches capable of raising standards and closing the regional gap.
Malaysia aim for the 2027 SEA Games is to emerge as overall champions — an ambition that looks unrealistic if athletics continues to produce just five golds from 47 events.
National chief coach Manshahar Abdul Jalil admitted the scale of the task ahead.
“It is going to be a real challenge for MA to improve the standard of our track athletes,” he said.
“MA must introduce a comprehensive training programme and send athletes to as many competitions as possible so they are fully prepared to challenge the region’s best.
“We cannot rely solely on field athletes to deliver gold medals in 2027. Track athletes must also rise to the occasion.”
Manshahar believes there is still hope in the sprint events, pointing to talents such as Danish Iftikhar Roslee and Azeem Fahmi.
“We believe Danish can deliver in the 100m and 200m. Azeem will complete his studies by 2026 and return to train and compete in Malaysia.
“Both have the capability to win gold. We are also optimistic about our men’s 4x100m relay team in 2027.”
Danish enjoyed a breakthrough SEA Games debut in Bangkok, clocking a personal best of 10.18s in the 100m heats before winning bronze in 10.26s.
He also broke the national 200m record with a time of 20.73s to secure another bronze.
The 18-year-old Johor-born sprinter anchored the 4x100m quartet of Aliff Iman Fahimi, Jonathan Nyepa and Pengiran Aidil Auf Hajam to silver, as the team smashed the national record with a time of 39.03s.
Manshahar added that Umar Osman, the 400m gold medallist at the 2023 SEA Games, was unable to defend his title in Bangkok after recently recovering from a hamstring injury.
“Umar will be at his best again by 2027,” he said.
He also highlighted Wan Fazri Wan Zahari, who won bronze in the 800m.
“With proper training, Wan Fazri can deliver at the next SEA Games. At the same time, we must identify new talents across all track events to ensure full representation in 2027.”
Manshahar was appointed national chief coach in July.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
