MAF not ready for 2017 target
FRESH from being returned unopposed as president of the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF), Karim Ibrahim insists the national body are under no pressure to deliver medals at the 2017 Sea Games in Kuala Lumpur.
While MAF hope to better their three-gold haul at the 2015 edition in Singapore, the lowest ever in Malaysian athletics history, Karim declined to say how many gold medals the national athletes are capable of winning next year.
Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has set the national contingent a target of becoming overall Sea Games champions but that depends on how many gold medals can be won in athletics, which offers 46 gold.
“It is a responsibility bestowed on us but there is no pressure to deliver,” said Karim after MAF’s annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
“After I took over MAF, I have to be responsible. We have to work with the government and deliver results but I feel comfortable. It is too early to say how many gold we can get but we want to win more than we did in Singapore.
“Let us do the selection first, then you can ask me again. If I target more and we win less, then it becomes a question.”
National chief coach Zainal Abas reportedly said last week that national athletes could win five gold medals next year but Karim declined to comment on Zainal’s remarks.
In a bid to show that MAF are serious about lifting the sport from the doldrums, Karim said MAF are working with the Education Ministry and National Sports Council to establish a talent identification programme at the grassroots.
“This programme is ongoing and we have set up state training centres to identify talent while also ensuring that we do not lose talent which excel at school level,” said Karim, adding that the programme will partly be funded by a grant from the International Association of Athletics Federations.
“We are also bringing back district and club meets and the first district competition will be held tomorrow (today) in Taiping. The talents identified here will be an asset to the states and country in the long run.”
Several amendments to MAF’s constitution were passed at the meeting yesterday with the term of office extended from two to three years though a proposal by Kedah to increase the annual grant for affiliates from the current RM10,000 was shot down by Karim.
“Let us see results from the states before increasing the money. The money is not the issue here but I want to see results,” said Karim without specifying what result he is looking for.
Meanwhile, former vice-presidents Datuk R. Annamalai and Datuk Mumtaz Jaffar returned to MAF following their ejection in the last election in 2014.
Former national athlete Mumtaz polled the most votes from the 40 delegates of six candidates for the four vice-president posts, garnering 31 votes to finish ahead of incumbents Datuk Noorul Ariffin Majeed (26) and M. Iyaru (25) and Annamalai (23), who unseated Sarawak AA secretary Datuk Tham Siew Kai by one vote.
Another former national athlete, Rajemah Sheikh Ahmad, polled 21 votes while Karim and his deputy Datuk S. M. Muthu were unchallenged. Datuk Rosni Sahar did not seek to defend her vice-president’s post. By Devinder Singh