KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysia Karate Federation (Makaf) plans to establish its national athlete development centre in Melaka from May onwards.
The sports body aims to achieve self-sufficiency without being overly dependent on the National Sports Council (NSC) and its state affiliates to produce athletes for the national team.
Speaking to Scoop, Makaf president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad said the centre would be spearheaded by former national athletes who have brought glory to the nation through their remarkable achievements in the sport.
“The centre is important for us. It has always been a long-standing dream for Makaf to have a dedicated facility where we can singularly focus on nurturing and honing the skills of our athletes,” he said.
Breaking away from dependency on state affiliates and the NSC, Makaf aims to reshape its approach to talent development.
Nur Azmi also revealed the new centre would concentrate on guiding young athletes, especially those aged between 12 and 14, fostering a robust talent pool for the sport.
“For far too long, we’ve depended on our state affiliates, mainly running programmes in primary and secondary schools.
“We want to change that by having a comprehensive centre where our former athletes can impart their knowledge and mentor the next generation,” he added.
Looking at a broader perspective, Nur Azmi said the centre would also create job opportunities, with the goal of engaging at least 100 former national and state athletes to be part of the development centre.
Meanwhile, in an expanded move to unearth new talents, Makaf is set to open academies in six strategic zones across the country.
These zones cover the northern, southern, central and east coast regions of Peninsular Malaysia, as well as Sabah and Sarawak.
Nur Azmi added that the federation would finalise plans for these academies through discussions with the NSC, the National Sports Institute and the Education Ministry in the next couple of months.
The discussions will involve aspects such as location and allowances for the involved coaches.
Karate has been one of the main medal prospects for Malaysia in the Asian Games.
Malaysia have won a total of 31 karate medals in the Asian Games, comprising eight golds, seven silvers and 16 bronzes, placing the nation fourth in the all-time medal standings.
In the latest Hangzhou Asian Games, the spotlight was on Muhammad Arif Afifuddin Ab Malik, who clinched victory in the men’s kumite below 84kg category by defeating Kazakhstan’s Daniyar Yuldashev with a decisive score of 10-4. – January 10, 2024