MERDEKA STADIUM BEST OPTION FOR NATIONAL ATHLETICS TRAINING - SHAHIDAN

KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 (Bernama) -- Merdeka Stadium has been identified as one of the best options to serve as a training centre for national athletes, said Malaysian Athletics (MA) president Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim.

He said the matter must be resolved quickly as the absence of a proper training venue could disrupt preparations for the SEA Games in Thailand this December.

“Our biggest problem is that athletes and coaches don’t have a permanent training venue. That’s why we are looking into several places, including Merdeka Stadium, but the rental there is quite high.

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“So I will negotiate with the government to see if we can get a discount to conduct training there,” he said when met at the Kuala Lumpur Super Series Athletics Championships at Merdeka Stadium yesterday.

He said national athletes are currently forced to train at several temporary venues, such as the National Valuation Institute (INSPEN) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), as there is still no official information on the reopening of the stadium at the National Sports Council (NSC), which was closed for maintenance.

Shahidan said the national athletes’ performance at the biennial meet in Thailand at the end of this year would reflect Malaysia’s capabilities as host of the 2027 edition, making it all the more crucial to ensure they have access to proper training facilities to achieve the best results.

He added that 85 athletes are currently under the NSC programme, comprising the Podium and back-up programmes, while another 22 athletes are under MA’s development programme.

Meanwhile, he said the issue of coach appointments has been resolved, including the return of experienced coach Mohd Poad Md Kassim to the national coaching line-up.

He said six coaches had already been approved by the NSC, with Mohd Poad being the seventh addition who would conduct weekly training sessions. 

“The only thing left now is the paperwork. Poad is an addition to the six coaches already approved, and there may be further additions if needed — a matter that will be considered by the NSC,” he said.

On the Super Series Athletics Championships, he said the meet had a positive impact as it showcased many promising new talents.

“The NSC has agreed for us to go to Hong Kong and South Korea. Then there are two other important meets we’ve requested to join, namely the Vietnam Open and Thailand Open,” he said.

-- BERNAMA