Engineer Ni Jia sets sights on new marathon heights in SEA Games

PETALING JAYA: Juggling a career as an engineer while pursuing excellence as a marathon runner is never easy for Yeow Ni Jia (pic).

That is why the 26-year-old is delighted that Malaysia Athletics have revamped the national training programme to give athletes like him a better shot at glory in preparation for next year’s SEA Games.

Under the revamped programme, athletes will enjoy greater international exposure, more opportunities to compete in regional races, nutrition planning, and access to sports science services provided by the National Sports Institute (NSI).

“The recent announcement will help both top athletes and emerging talents reach greater heights,” said Ni Jia.

“Access to gyms and physiotherapy will be crucial in helping us maintain optimal training levels throughout the season.”

Ni Jia believes recovery plays a key role in improving a marathon runner’s performance.

“Training in colder climates also provides opportunities to experiment with different techniques that are not possible in Malaysia’s warmer weather,” he said.

At the last SEA Games in Cambodia, Ni Jia was Malaysia’s sole representative in the marathon and finished seventh in 2’42:47.

He now hopes to lower his personal best to secure qualification for next year’s Games.

“The long-term goal is to win a medal, but right now my priority is to beat my personal best and make the team,” he said.

Ni Jia is currently ranked fifth among Malaysian marathon runners with a personal best of 2’27:42.

He will be aiming to shave more than five minutes off that mark to surpass Tan Huong Leong’s national-leading time of 2’22:34.

“It could happen this year. But I’ll take it one day at a time and see how my body responds before trying to break that mark,” added Ni Jia.