Strong winds, waves at KRMSAU provide good training for sailors

Malaysian sailors, who have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, are undergoing intensive training at the KRMSAU, Desaru, Johor.

Nur Shazrin Mohamad Latif (laser radial event), Nuraisyah Jamil and Juni Karimah Noor Jamali (International 470)

are at the training camp which runs from March 21 to April 11.

Malaysian Sailing Association (MSA) president Datuk Kamaruzzaman Abu Kassim said the training stint is one of two sessions conducted by coaches Mohd Hafizi Roslee and Muhammad Sahir A Rahim.

Kamaruzzaman said yesterday: “This training session is important to our mission to set new sailing records and to improve our prospect of stepping on the podium in Tokyo.”

He said MSA could not wait for the Covid-19 pandemic to subside and instead had to proceed with the training, which is conducted in strict compliance with the standard operating procedure.

He said the strong winds and waves in the South China Sea near KRMSAU offer more conducive training conditions than those at the Langkawi Sailing Centre.

Four Malaysian sailors have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in three classes - laser standard, laser radial and women International 470.

The fourth sailing athlete, Khairulnizam Mohd Afendy in laser standard, is now training and competing in championships in Tenerife Island, Spain.

Kamaruzzaman said MSA are seeking another Olympics ticket in men’s windsurfing RS:X through the participation of national sailors in the Musannah Open Championship on April 1-8 in Musannah, Oman.