NSC mulls coaching plan for national sprinters

KUALA LUMPUR: Whether or not two national sprint champions Muhammad Haiqal Hanafi and Khairul Hafiz Jantan will continue to train under Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) technical director Dwayne Miller will be discussed in the near future.

National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail said the talks would involve coaches Mohd Poad Md Kassim and Miller

Ahmad Shapawi said that the matter should be discussed in a family-like atmosphere.

“The future of Haiqal and Khairul Hafiz will be discussed with the coaches involved. We will see the development of training and report from Miller on what the next course of action is.

“Both coaches have their respective roles and duties that need to be fulfilled. We should discuss this matter as a family of coaches in giving our best to the athletes,” he told reporters at the Jalur Gemilang handover ceremony to the national athletes in conjunction with the 63rd National Day at NSC here, yesterday. Both SEA Games gold medalists in the 100m, Khairul Hafiz (KL 2017) and Muhammad Haiqal (Philippines 2019) are currently training with Miller following MAF’s plan to centrally house all national elite sprinters under the coach from the United States.

MAF had previously explained that the decision to place the two athletes under Miller was not intended to snatch them away, but simply to provide the best.

Ahmad Shapawi said the decision aimed to focus on efforts to strengthen the country’s 4x100m quartet.

“To ensure that they can excel as a team, training together in a group is the way to go,” he said.

Miller has more than 30 years experience in the coaching field and had even guided LaShawn Merritt to two gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, in the men’s 400m and 4x400m (Olympic record).