KUALA LUMPUR: Southeast Asian sprint king, Khairul Hafiz Jantan, has once more been omitted from the new list of 146 existing and new athletes that will be under next year’s Podium Program from January onwards.
National Sports Institute (NSI) chairman, Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi explained that Khairul was not among the athletes listed because the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games 100m gold medalist failed to meet the criteria and requirements necessary including in terms of world, Asia and Commonwealth rankings.
“If we see Khairul Hafiz’s ranking position from an overall perspective, yes, he did win gold at the KL Sea Games, but if you look at his best recorded timing in the 100m event, he is actually the ninth fastest man is Asia and 60th for the Commonwealth Games. In the 200m, he is ranked 18th for the Asian Games, and is 36th for the Commonwealth Games.
“If he were between 6th or 10th best in Asia and the Commonwealth, perhaps we could have helped him improve on his performance and best personal timing through sports science and specialised training at a higher level.
“However, since he is 60th in the 100m at the Commonwealth Games level, it makes it difficult for us to include him for the Podium Program,” he said during the press conference after the official announcement ceremony for the new list of 146 athletes under the Podium Program at the NSI yesterday.
Earlier, Podium Program director, Tim Newenhem made the announcement of 146 athletes from 22 different sports including 26 new faces listed under the elite program which begins in January as early preparations of sorts for the Asian and Commonwealth Games next year.
Meanwhile, 13 athletes from diving, rhythmic gymnastics, karate, silat, bowling, weightlifting, para archery, para athletics, powerlifting dan para swimming have been dropped from the program because they failed to perform and meet the criteria and requirements set by the NSI.
Commenting further, Abdul Azim said among the important aspects taken into account in the selection of athletes for the program is their ability to win at least a bronze medal at next year’s Asian and Commonwealth Games.
“Even though many national athletes won gold at the KL Sea Games, if we take a closer look at their performance, in terms of speed, height, distance, timing, and points collection, they are actually lagging far behind medal winners from the Asian and Commonwealth Games,” he said.
In retrospect, Abdul Azim has defended NSI’s actions in retaining the 12 sepak takraw athletes under the program even though they failed to live up to expectations and eventually lost to the superior Thais at the 2017 ISTAF Sepak Takraw World Cup in Hyderabad, India, earlier this month.
“We listed sepak takraw because we are confident they can deliver one gold at the Asian Games in August next year. This is one, specialised training program for the speak takraw players with the objective that they can win a medal at the Asian Games.
“So we will be closely monitoring their performance and progress at sepak takraw tournaments that they take part in over the next six to seven months. If they fail to achieve the target that has been set, then we will drop them from the program,” he said.
List of 146 Podium Programme athletes
Athletics:
Nauraj Singh Randhawa
Muhammad Hakimi Ismail (Baharu)
Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin (Baharu)
Archery
Khairul Anuar Mohamed
Haziq Kamaruddin
Muhammad Akmal Nor Nasrin
Muhammad Ikram Joni
Muhamad Zarif Syahiir Zolkepeli
(new)
Badminton
Lee Chong Wei
Tan Wee Kiong
Goh Wei Shem
Goh Liu Ying
Chan Peng Soon
Vivian Hoo Kah Mun
Woon Khe Wei
Tan Kian Meng
Lai Pei Jin
Goh Jin Wei
Ong Yew Sin
Teo Ee Yi
Cycling
Azizulhasni Awang
Fatehah Mustapa
Shah Firdaus Sahrom
Fadhil Mohd Zonis
Shariz Efendi Mohd Shahrin
Khairil Nizam Rasol
Farina Shahwati Mohamed Adnan
Diving
Pandelela Rinong
Cheong Jun Hoong
Nur Dhabitah Sabri
Ahmad Amsyar Azman
Chew Yi Wei
Ooi Tze Liang
Leong Mun Yee
Gymnastics
No selected athletes
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Amy Kwan Dict Weng
Koi Sie Yan
N Shasangari Sivanesway
Izzah Amzan (new)
Hockey
National men’s team (new)
Karate
Lim Chee Wei
Syakilla Salni Jefry Krisnan
Lawn Bowls
Hizlee Abdul Rais
Fairul Izwan Abd Muin
Fairuz Abdul Jabal
Syamil Syazwan Ramli
Soufi Rusli
Zulhilmie Redzuan
Azlina Arshad
Zuraini Khalid
Nur Fidrah Noh
Siti Zalina Ahmad
Emma Firyana Saroji
Nor Hasimah Ismail
Auni Fatihah Khamis (new)
Pencak Silat
Al-Jufferi Jamari
Fauzi Khalid
Siti Rahmah Mohd Nasir
Razak Ghazali
Faizul M Nasir (new)
Taqiyuddin Hamid (new)
Rosli Mohd Shari (new)
Robial Sobri (new)
Sailing
Khairulnizam Mohd Afendy
Faizal Norizan
Ahmad Syukri Abdul Aziz
Nuraishah Jamil
Norashikin Mohd Sayed
Nurshazrin Mohd Latif
Sepak Takraw
12 athletes (doubles, quadrant, regu, team)
Shooting
Johnathan Wong (new)
Squash
Nicol David
Low Wee Wern
Nafiizwan Adnan
Ivan Yuen
S. Sivasangari
Swimming
Welson Sim
Bowling
Rafiq Ismail
Timmy Tan
Adrian Ang
Alex Liew
Syafiq Ridhwan
Sin Li Jane
Esther Cheah
Syaidatul Afifah Badrul Hamidi
Siti Safiyah Abdul Rahman
Shalin Zulkifli
Natasha Roslan (new)
Ahmad Muaz Mohd Fishol (new)
Weightlifting
Azroy Hazlwafie Izhar Ahmad
Wushu
Loh Jack Chang
Vincent Wong
Yeap Wai Kin (new)
PARA ATHLETES
Athletics
Abdul Latif Romly (long jump T20)
Ziyad Zolkefli (shot put F20)
Ridzuan Puzi (100m/200m T36)
Siti Noor Radiah Ismail (long jump T20)
Nasharuddin Mohd (400m/800m T20)
Doriah Poulus (discus, jevelin and shot put F44)
Saifuddin Ishak (100m T12 and long jump F12)
Krisna Kumar (100m/200m/ 400m T38)
Badminton
Bakri Omar — men’s singles (SL4)
Cheah Leik Hou — Men’s singles (SU5)
Hairulfozi Saaba — Men’s doubles (SU5)
Madzlan Saibon — Men’s singles WH2
Didin Terasoh — Men’s singles SS6 (new)
Para Cycling
Aiman Asraf Ahmad Bajuri Tandem
Najib Turano (Mass Start/ highway/ 4km/ sprint /1km
Khairul Azwan Wahab — Tandem (l)
Afiq Afify Rizan — sprint/ 1km and 4km (new)
Para Powerlifting
Jong Yee Khie
Shahmil Md Saad