MA target better gold medal haul in Thailand
MALAYSIA Athletics (MA) are targeting to surpass the five-gold medal tally achieved in the previous edition at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand this December.
MA president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the association already have a specific target, which will be announced by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh ahead of the biennial Games.
'The minister will speak on behalf of all Malaysian sports, including MA... we've already discussed the target during our meetings.
'Of course, on our part we want to do better than in 2023 — if we win less, that would be unacceptable,' he told a press conference at Wisma OCM here today.
For the record, the national athletics squad brought home five gold, three silver and 11 bronze medals at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.
The five gold medals were contributed by Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin in the men's discus throw, Andre Anura Anuar (men's triple jump), Umar Osman (men's 400 metres), Grace Wong (women's hammer throw), and Shereen Samson Vallabouy in the women's 400m.
Meanwhile, Shahidan also announced the list of athletes currently qualified under Category A, including sprint ace Muhammad Azeem Fahmi, Umar Osman, Andre Anura, Muhammad Irfan, Jonah Chang Rigan (shot put), and Wan Muhammad Fazri Wan Zahari (800m) for the men's team.
He said the four female athletes are Shereen, Grace, Queenie Ting Kung Ni (discus throw), and Nani Shahirah Maryata (shot put), while both the men's and women's 4x100m relay teams are being considered as potential Category A qualifiers.
'Category A means the athlete is among the top three in the ASEAN region. Athletes in Category A will be fully funded by the National Sports Council (NSC),' he said, adding that 20 athletes currently fall under Category B.
The 2025 SEA Games are scheduled to be held from December 9 to 20.
In addition, Shahidan stated that the NSC have agreed to appoint six new athletics coaches, namely Andrew Lulham, Jorge Luis Alfaro Quinones, Yunaika Crawford Rojer, Muhammad Hakimi Ismail, Mohd Robani Hassan and Lo Choon Sieng.
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