SEA Games: Komalam dropped over repeat offence

KUALA LUMPUR: Sprinter S. Komalam Shally was dropped from the SEA Games athletics squad due to repeat of indiscipline offence, said team manager Datuk Salim Parlan.

He said the decision to drop the runner from the SEA Games squad was made after taking views from various parties including the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) president, officials and national coaches for the benefit of the team.

Due to the decision, Malaysia will only have one representative in the women’s 200 metres (m) event, which will be Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli at the biennial Games scheduled from Aug 22-26 at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium here although a country is allowed to field two representatives in every event.

Salim said the decision would not affect the national squad’s performance in the women’s 4x100m relay as she was dropped from the relay team since returning from the 22nd Asian Athletics Championship in India in mid-July.

“She was dropped for the benefit of the team because we felt that nobody, including me, is bigger than the team. It is not based on a single incident, we have given her many chances before that.

“We do not tolerate indiscipline…the team is in high spirits now, we do not want them to be distracted with just few days left before the Games,” he said when contacted by Bernama on Tuesday.

Komalam Shally is among the sprinters who can run below 12s in 100m and was part of the Malaysian quartet which broke women’s 4x100m national record at the AAC after clocking 45.18s.

Other members of the quartet were Nurul Faizah Asma Mazlan, Siti Fatimah Mohamad and Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli.