Search for venue to train nation’s top sprinters

KUALA LUMPUR: The training camp chosen for the national sprinters must be able to provide a series of competitions that can put them ‘ through the mill’, said Sekolah Sukan Tunku Mahkota Ismail ( SSTMI) athletics coach Mohd Poad Md Kassim.

Mohd Poad, who has coached some of the country’s top sprinters including national 100m record holder King Khairul Hafiz Jantan, said world class facilities was also a must.

He told this to Bernama when asked about the ideal training camp for the national sprinters.

Prior to this, the National Sports Council and the Malaysian Athletics Federation had planned to send the national sprinters to train at the Santa Monica Track Club in the United States which produced famous names like Carl Lewis and Floyd Heard, to prepare for the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.

However, now they are looking more at Australia as the famous club did not meet the criteria set by NSC and MAF when national athletics head coach Zainal Abas made a study visit there.

“We are still awaiting a decision from MSC and MAF. Maybe Melbourne or Perth.

The reason whey we want to train away is to get a new enviroment, exchange experience, avail to ourselves their technology and compete against the other sprinters there,” said Mohd Poad.

He added that he hoped that the national sprinters could train with those who have done below 10 seconds (in the 100m sprint) as lately the number of sprinters who could do this in Australia was sparse.

For the record, only one Aussie sprinter has done better that national record holder Khairul Hafiz so far this year, Josh Clarke who did 10.15s in February to qualify for the Rio Olympics and emerge as the fifth fastest sprinter in Australian athletics history. Khairul Hafiz’s best so far is 10.18s. — Bernama