The ‘Poad’ to victory for record-breaking sprinter

KUALA LUMPUR: Teacher-coach Mohd Poad Mohd Kassim can take credit for moulding Khairul Hafiz Jantan into a top sprinter in Asia in just two years.

For someone who was never an athlete himself, Mohd Poad played a big part in helping Khairul break the national 100m and 200m records.

Khairul clocked 10.18 seconds in the 100m final of the Malaysian Games (Sukma) in Kuching in July last year to break Watson Nyambek’s mark of 10.30s set at the 1998 pre-Commonwealth Games at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

Then on Tuesday, Khairul was again in his element as he clocked a new national 200m record of 20.90 to erase Tan Sri Dr M. Jegathesan’s 20.92s set 49 years ago in the semi-finals of the Mexico Olympics in 1968.

So, just who is Mohd Poad?

The 48-year-old Melaka native loves athletics and began his career as a Physical Education teacher at Sungai Udang Primary School in 1997.

He started coaching the same year and was roped in as a coach at Seri Bandar Secondary School in 2003.

He obtained a Level Three coaching certificate in 2012 and, a year later, was hired as a full-time coach with the Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) in Johor.

Mohd Poad had actually been monitoring Khairul’s progress since 2013.

“Khairul played football in primary school before switching to athletics when he studied at the Bukit Baru Secondary School in Melaka in 2013,” said Mohd Poad.

“I was impressed with his performance at the Melaka district-level athletics meet in 2013. I knew then that he had the talent to become a good sprinter.

“I wanted him to join SSTMI so I could work with him and turn him into a top sprinter.”

Khairul finally enrolled there in 2015 and it did not take him long to make his mark.

“He clocked 21.47s to win silver in the 200m at the Asean Schools Games in Brunei in December 2015.”

Mohd Poad knew then that he was on to a winner.

“I kept pushing him in training and it paid off.

“He went on to create history at the Asian Junior Championships in Ho Chi Minh City in June last year when he became the first Malaysian to win gold in the 100m (10.36s) and silver in the 200m (21.01s),” he said.

“I was confident that he had the ability to break the national record in both the sprints because he was dedicated, determined and disciplined.

“I was proven right one month later (in July last year) as he lived up to expectations by shattering the old record with a time of 10.18s in Sukma,” said Mohd Poad.

Under his training, Khairul continued to blossom.

“I’m confident that Khairul will create history next month by becoming the youngest runner to win the sprint double at the KL (SEA) Games,” Mohd Poad added.