PETALING JAYA: Just days before the Thailand SEA Games begin next Tuesday (Dec 9), the national athletics team has suffered a significant setback after women’s 400m star Shereen Samson Vallabuoy was forced to withdraw at the last minute.
A medical assessment issued by the National Sports Institute this week confirmed that Shereen has not fully recovered from a hamstring injury she suffered in November.
When contacted, Shereen explained that she sustained a grade two tear to her left hamstring during a 4x100m training session at Universiti Putra Malaysia early in November.
She added that competing in Thailand next week would carry a significant risk to her physical condition, and she is not prepared to jeopardise her recovery with a packed and important calendar waiting in 2026, including the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Asian Games in Nagoya.
"Yes, I pulled out because there was not enough time to recover. The analysis from the National Sports Institute confirmed that I am not fully recovered, so the risk is very high," said Shereen on Wednesday (Dec 3).
"Next year, there will be many major championships. So if the injury relapses, the rehabilitation process will be longer, and it will be difficult to return stronger.
"Actually, the decision was very hard. I took a long time to think it through, but I had to make the decision because my leg hasn't healed yet.
"I am a bit sad, but it is okay. I just have to move on."
The decision means Shereen would not defend the 400m title she won in Cambodia two years ago.
What worries the athletics camp even more is that Shereen had initially been slated to compete in three additional events in Thailand, namely the 4x100m, 4x400m and the mixed 4x400m.
