KUALA LUMPUR: The 15th Sea Youth Athletics Championships was supposed to be held last month in Kuala Lumpur, but it didn't happen due to unavailability of a venue.
Neighbour Thailand, ever the great host, will take over and organise the meet for boys and girls aged 15-16 in Bangkok from Dec 7-10.
Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) vice president Syamsul Bani Abdullah said, after a council meeting on Friday, that they couldn't get a venue to host the event in October.
"However, we will host the Sea Youth meet next year, and it will cost us about RM300,000.
"We are looking to have the meet before the rainy season in November. And we are also looking for a venue to host it.
"If we cannot get a venue in Kuala Lumpur next year, then we have to look to other states to organise the event."
Malaysia will send 25 boys and 19 girls plus 10 officials and coaches to the Sea Youth in Bangkok.
MAF president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said they are confident that their junior athletes would do well in the Sea Youth meet.
He thanked the government for rewarding men's 100m runner Azeem Fahmi (RM20,000), women's 400m runner Shereen Samson Vallabouy (RM20,000) and the 4x100m quartet of Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli, Azreen Nabila Alias, Nur Batrisyia and Shereen (RM5,000 each) for winning bronze medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
When asked if MAF would reward the five athletes for their Asiad feats, Shahidan replied in the negative.
"If any incentives are given by us, then it will be by individuals but not from the association," said Shahidan.