BUKIT JALIL: Following the decision to drop taekwondo from the core sport programme, Taekwondo Malaysia (TM) have decided to come up with strategies to get the sport back in.
TM technical director R.Dhanaraj admitted that the association are now feeling the pinch.
"Our exponents are everything to us. Therefore it is only right for us to do something,” said Dhanaraj after the working committee meeting with the National Sports Council (NSC) on Monday.
He said the G1 Malaysia Open Championships on Mar 1-4 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) is an initiative by the national body to raise funds for their exponents.
"We want the maintain the current pool and that’s the reason we need more funds.
"Our strategy is to categorise our exponents according to their respective states and from there, select potential coaches. Another way is to get a place for our athletes to come together."
Dhanaraj explained that exponents not listed for the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia and the 2019 Sea Games in the Philippines will still be allowed to train with the trainees at the NSC.
Following the committee meeting, TM and the NSC have agreed on allowances as well as providing exposure for six potential exponents.
"We will review these six athletes. If they can prove themselves by winning medals in the upcoming Malaysia Open, they will stand a good chance of being in the Asian Games and Sea Games programmes,” he added.