Shereen, Irfan take centre stage at Asian meet
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia are banking on Shereen Samson Vallabouy and Irfan Shamsuddin to deliver medals at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, on May 27-31.
Malaysia Athletics (MA) technical director John Ballard said Shereen and Irfan are currently ranked among the top three in the women's 400m and men's discus events, respectively.
The 26-year-old Shereen clocked a season-best 53.66s at the Tom Jones Memorial in Florida last month and holds the national record of 51.79.
She is expected to battle for gold with Bahrain's Kemi Adekoya, the reigning Asian Games champion, and compatriot Salwa Eid Naser. Shereen bagged bronze in the Hangzhou Games in 2023.
Irfan, 29, threw a season-best 60.00m to claim silver at the Queensland Open in March.
He will face stiff competition from Qatar's Moaaz Mohamed Ibrahim and China's Abuduaini Tuergong in Gumi.
"Irfan is in good form and should be on the podium in Gumi," said Ballard.
Hangzhou Asian Games 100m bronze medallist Azeem Fahmi will skip the Asian meet.
Ballard confirmed Malaysia will field 36 athletes in Gumi.
"Sprinter Russell Alexander Nasir Taib will contest the men's 200m alongside youngster Sayyid Amin Roslan.
"Teenager Danish Iftikhar Roslee, who stunned the seniors to win the 100m title with a 10.57s at the Cahya Mata Super Series on Saturday, will feature in the 4x100m.
"Jonathan Nyepa and Khairul Hafiz Jantan will race in the men's 100m."
Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli will double up in the women's 100m and 200m, joined by youngsters Nur Aishah Rofina Zulkifli (100m) and Izzatul Musfirah Ahmad Kamal Azira (200m).
At last year's Asian Championships in Bangkok, Malaysia managed just one bronze through Irfan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Leroy 'detours' from his famous father's game
KUALA LUMPUR: His father was a top shuttler and many people thought Leroy Yong would follow in the path of Yong Hock Kin. But it isn't exactly the case. While the athletic Leroy is a chip off the old block, it's different strokes as he pursues a tennis career. The promising Hock Kin is determined to make it in professional tennis. In fact, Hock Kin was the one who encouraged Leroy to take up tennis and supported his development in the sport. Hock Kin didn't impose on his son to play badminton though he was a former world No. 2 who had won multiple Commonwealth and Asian Games medals. One of the most talented left-handed shuttlers on the World Tour, he was also the first Malaysian to win the coveted men's singles title at the Indonesia Open (1998). "I started playing tennis when I was about six or seven," said the 21-year-old Leroy recently. "I actually started playing badminton when I was about three. My dad always brought me to the badminton courts when he was coaching. "I got a bit sick of badminton because I was playing everyday and almost everyone plays badminton in Malaysia. "So one day, my dad asked me if I wanted to try and play tennis. It was new to me and interesting, so I started to play. "He saw I had talent in tennis so he said, 'why don't we give tennis a shot' and started coaching me in tennis." Hock Kin coached Leroy for a decade before he went on to train under other coaches, including former national champion Ashaari Zainal. Leroy spent much of his teen years in China, after Hock Kin moved his family there to pursue a coaching career in badminton. Being in China allowed Leroy to compete in tournaments there and abroad which helped him further his progress as a tennis player. Leroy won two ITF junior doubles titles in 2019 in Hong Kong and Singapore, and also went deep into a number of singles tournaments. "We moved back to Malaysia when Covid-19 struck, but I still go back and forth to China to compete there when possible," said Leroy. "There are more tournaments available in China which makes travelling between events easier. When I am in Malaysia, I usually train at home in Melaka or in Kuala Lumpur. "I was born in KL but my dad chose to move us to Melaka, which is my mum's hometown, as he does not like the hectic life in KL." Hock Kin currently operates a badminton academy in Melaka. Leroy's journey in tennis has not been all smooth sailing as he suffered injuries which sidelined him for six months en route to winning the men's doubles gold, partnering Darrshan Kumar, for Federal Territories at last year's Sarawak Malaysia Games (Sukma). "I was chasing a ball and slid. I slammed into the net post and injured my rib and my back," said Leroy. "I was on painkillers after Sukma but after seeing a doctor and doing some tests, I was advised to rest, so I stopped playing tennis for six months. "But I view it as a good experience for me. I learnt how to recover and strengthen my body. I feel so much better now, I can handle high-intensity training and am playing well again." Leroy is looking forward to the ITF Futures Tour this year and he hopes to secure sponsorship for his campaign. "Now that I have recovered from injuries, I am hoping to play in more Futures tournaments, both here in Malaysia and abroad," he said. "I am still young and believe I can do it. I have been inspired by players such as Mitsuki Leong who have been making good progress on tour. "I have also spoken to Mitsuki's father (and coach) Jeff Leong who encouraged me and gave me good advice on how to improve. "At the moment, I am hoping to secure sponsors who can support me so I can focus more on tennis without having to worry too much about the costs involved. "There are a lot of expenses involved to play on tour. This includes flights, hotels, meals, physiotherapy, stringing and so on. Having sponsors onboard would reduce the pressure on me." Leroy added that he has also been doing coaching to help cover some of his training and competition expenses. Mitsuki is the current national No. 1, and in 2023 he became the first Malaysian to win an ITF singles title in over two decades. Leroy has been shortlisted for the Malaysia team for the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group IV competition at National Tennis Centre in Kuala Lumpur on July 14-19.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Clubs just as vital as schools in hockey revival, say veterans
Jayamaran represented the country several times at the SEA Games and Asian Games. FOR former Selangor hockey stalwarts Sri Muhunan Raja Retnam and M. Jayamaran, reviving the state's hockey strength will require strong partnerships between schools and clubs – with both playing vital and complementary roles. Sri Muhunan, who was part of the 1996 Selangor Tun Abdul Razak Cup-winning squad, believes clubs play a key role in sustaining talent after the school stage. 'Schools can only take you so far. It's the clubs that build match temperament, tactical sense, and character,' he said. Jayamaran, a former international who was groomed under the Selangor system but represented Kuala Lumpur during his Razak Cup triumphs in the 1990s, agreed that many young players lacked sufficient exposure outside school tournaments. 'School tournaments come and go. What we need is continuous, year-round training. Even weekly friendlies can be valuable, and clubs can provide that.' He said players needed regular matches to sharpen their skills. Both, having been involved in grassroots development programmes, said district-level competition must be revived to give players more game time. 'There should be league structures in every district. That's how you keep the sport alive,' said Jayamaran. Sri Muhunan said recognition and incentives could help retain youth players in the system. 'In the UK, even club matches end with small awards – best striker, best keeper. That kind of recognition keeps kids motivated, but sustaining it comes at a cost,' he said. Club administrators almost always have to pay for pitch time, equipment and sometimes even arrange transport for students. 'If local councils give us lower pitch rates or basic grants, we can double the number of children playing,' Sri Muhunan said. Sri Muhunan was part of the squad that last lifted the Tun Abdul Razak Cup in 1996. Jayamaran also pointed out that without a long-term plan, many promising players could drift to other sports. 'You lose them to football or badminton. We have seen it happen many times. 'But the ones who stayed, the ones with the burning passion, they have become the core of today's state pool.' Despite the challenges, both are hopeful that the current SHA committee – led by people they once played alongside – can help rebuild the foundation. 'They know what Selangor hockey used to be,' said Jayamaran. 'But to get back there, it is not just about one tournament or one team. It is about fixing the foundation.' Sri Muhunan said the hockey community had the passion and know-how to bring back Selangor's past strengths. 'There are veterans and ex-players with a lot of experience at the club level. They are already doing the work. They just need more support,' he said. Beyond coaching and competition, both stressed the importance of creating a nurturing environment that fuelled a young player's passion for the sport. 'Kids need to feel seen,' said Sri Muhunan. 'When their effort is recognised – whether through a small trophy, a mention during team talks, or even a pat on the back – it makes a huge difference. That's what keeps them coming back.' They added that friendship often mattered more than results at that level. 'If they enjoy the game and look forward to training, they will naturally improve,' said Jayamaran. 'We have seen players develop simply because they had teammates who encouraged them and a coach who cared.' Both believe that a sense of belonging – to a club or team – provides great support for young players through the ups and downs in sport. They also urged parents to play a more active but supportive role. 'Let the kids enjoy the game. Don't pressure them to be national players. Help them grow first,' said Sri Muhunan. Jayamaran agreed, noting that talent would need time and space to develop. 'If the system is there, and if people are patient, the results will come,' he said.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Wei Chong-Kai Wun break jinx, reach Indonesia Open semi-finals
KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 7 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun finally ended their losing streak against reigning Asian Games champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty of India to reach the semi-finals of the Indonesia Open on Friday. Wei Chong-Kai Wun defeated the world No. 22 Indian pair 21-19, 21-16 in the quarter-finals at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta. It was the Malaysians' first win in five meetings against the former world No. 1. The pair will now face either world No. 1 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani or Indonesian world No. 8 Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Isfahani in the last four on Saturday.
