KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s karate squad will enter the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games without placing the burden of winning gold on any individual athlete, with national head coach R Sharmendran confident all five representatives are capable of producing a breakthrough performance.
Sharmendran said the team’s experience at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games showed that success could come from unexpected sources, citing Muhamad Arif Affifudin Ab Malik’s surprise triumph in the men’s kumite below 84kg category.
Arif was not among the pre-tournament favourites in Hangzhou but stunned the field by defeating Kazakhstan’s Daniyar Yuldashev, a bronze medallist at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, to claim the gold medal.
For Sharmendran, Arif’s achievement proved that Malaysia should not rely on one particular athlete when targeting success at the continental meet in Aichi-Nagoya.
“As I said before, everyone is capable of winning. No one expected Arif to win previously. Our target at that time was different, and I was competing as well, but nobody had specifically targeted Arif.
“So, we should not focus too much on one person. On the day of competition, whoever puts in the best performance will win.
“Everyone can win, but the one who wants it the most and is able to perform at their best on the day will succeed,” he told Scoop when contacted.
The Malaysian Karate Federation (MAKAF) has set a target of at least one gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with its president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad urging the national squad to return with the top prize.
Sharmendran said while setting a medal target was necessary, the responsibility should be shared among the entire team rather than placed on the shoulders of a single competitor.
“We need to have a target. Without a target, how are we going to achieve it? If we get more, we are grateful. If we get less, we are also grateful because we have given our best and will continue trying.
“Personally, however, I do not want to put the pressure on just one athlete. It is better for us to move as one unit.
“If we win one gold medal, we win it as a unit, and that is better,” he said.
Malaysia’s karate squad enjoyed a strong outing at the 2022 Asian Games, winning one gold and two silver medals to finish fourth overall among 25 participating nations.
The national team will now look to build on that performance when the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games take place. – September 11, 2026