KUALA LUMPUR –Two-time Asian Games gold medalist R. Puvaneswaran has officially stepped down as the coach of the national kumite team.
The 49-year-old, who replaced coach Ali Reza Souleymani from Iran in February 2021, saw his contract ended in December last year and was not renewed by the Malaysian Karate Federation (Makaf).
Speaking to Scoop, Puvaneswaran said that he is currently considering other job opportunities around the Asian region, but his main focus, for now, is taking care of his academy to produce more karate exponents for the nation.
“I have done my best for the national team as much as I can over the years by training some of the best athletes for the SEA Games and the recently concluded Hangzhou Asian Games.
“For now, I want to focus on my academy and continue to teach children, especially those who are below the age of 14. I want to contribute more to the pool of talent for the national team with the players I have.
“I’m also going to continue coaching my 20-year-old son, Shrivars Puvaneshwaran, who will be competing in the Malaysian Games (Sukma) for Kelantan this year. I want to spend more time with him training and moulding him as much as I can for his gold medal dream.
“I’m also looking at other coaching options as well, but I won’t be rushing with my decisions as I need to make sure that I can balance my job and my academy. That’s my main priority for now. Time will tell where my next destination will be,” said Puvaneswaran.
Puvaneswaran has been running his academy (Puvan Karate Academy) in Puncak Jalil since 2014, with a total of 500 students from primary schools around the Klang Valley.
In his 20-year career as a national kumite athlete (1990-2010), Puvaneswaran won gold medals at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, and the 2010 edition in Guangzhou, China. Additionally, he secured the silver in the 2006 edition in Doha, Qatar, and the bronze in the 1994 edition in Hiroshima, Japan.
He then became the coach of the national team from 2011 to 2015 before guiding Thailand from 2017 to 2019.
Puvaneswaran helped Thailand achieve their best SEA Games result by winning one gold, five silver, and five bronze medals in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.
Scoop will be reaching out to Makaf president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad on the possible candidates to take on Puvaneswaran’s role. – January 8, 2024