Zaki says new faces who didn’t shine in Cambodia will peak at KL 2027

The baton is passed: S. Tharshan receiving the baton from Abdul Wafiy Roslan during the 4x400m relay men’s final.

WHEN he first took over, national athletics head coach Zaki Sadri said he was willing to fail in his bid to revive Malaysians athletics.

Based on the target set for his squad, he has failed in Phnom Penh. But has he, really?

Zaki had never bought in on the 10-gold target that Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim harped on.

Instead, the coach stressed that Malaysia are good enough to win a maximum of six golds. A five-year programme, he felt, could yield 10 golds.

Malaysia managed five golds, three silver and 11 bronze medals at the Morodok Techo National Stadium.

One gold and six of the bronze medals came from athletes making their debuts.

Zaki feels it is a good start as 34 Category B athletes had been sent to Cambodia for exposure. They could hit their peak at the 2027 Games in Kuala Lumpur.

“I can face the critics. I knew the new faces in Cambodia may return without medals but we have to start doing something now for our young athletes,” said Zaki.

“We would not have seen Umar (Osman) becoming a SEA Games champion at 20 if we had not sent him. He even broke a long-standing national record.

“There were a few more medals from the Category B athletes and I believe we will see them progressing further in Thailand in 2025. Then, we can see their true potential in 2027.

“We have already won several bronze medals from the newcomers and we will keep focusing on development and exposure in international meets.”

Malaysia’s Jackie Wong in action for hammer throw men’s final at Morodok Techo National Stadium in conjunction of 2023 Sea Games at Cambodia. - FAIHAN GHANI/The Star

Umar clocked 46.34s to erase Mohd Zaiful Zainal Abidin’s 2001 national record of 46.41 in 2001 and also anchored the men’s 4x400m quartet (with Abdul Wafiy Roslan, S. Tharshan and Mohd Firdaus Mohd Zemi) to a bronze medal.

The other bronze medallists from Category B were men’s high jumper Farrell Glen Felix Jurus (2.15m), men’s hammer thrower Sadat Marzuki Ajizan (59.76m), men’s 800m runner Wan Mohd Fazri Wan Zahari (1:53.86), women’s hammer thrower Nurul Hidayah Lukman (49.61m) and women’s shot putter Nani Sahirah Maryata (14.44m).

Shereen Samson Vallabouy also finally fulfilled her promise to deliver the women’s 400m gold (52.53) while Grace Wong maintained her supremacy in the women’s hammer throw. Almost all of them should be around in 2027.

Even Irfan Shamsuddin, who secured his sixth consecutive discus gold, could still be there.

Jackie Wong had a protest turned down after he claimed his last throw was wrongly recorded as he settled for a silver medal in the men’s hammer throw while Nor Sarah Adi, despite setting a personal best of 4.05m, lost her women’s pole vault title to Thailand’s Chonthicha Khabut on countback.

Zaki is also looking forward to reviving the previous decentralised system, which was behind Malaysia’s success from the 1960s to 1990s. Under the programme, young athletes remain under their respective coaches in various state programmes.

Umar was a product of Simon Lau Ching Meng in Johor and the quarter-miler’s success is proof that decentralised training is also effective.

It is not necessary for every national athlete to be based in Bukit Jalil throughout the year.

If their programme is monitored and they are exposed to international competitions, the decentralised athletes should be able to shine too.

Zaki should know. He is himself a product of the decentralised training programme.