KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysia Karate Federation (Makaf) has confirmed that Hangzhou Asian Games champion Arif Afifuddin Malik will miss the rest of this year’s competitions as he continues to recover from a serious motorcycle accident last month.
Arif fractured his ankle when his motorcycle was hit by a car in Kuala Lumpur on January 20.
It was a double whammy for him as he had already scheduled an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery this month after injuring his knee last September.
In Arif’s absence, the governing body is now in the process of grooming fellow karateka Sureeya Sankar for the senior team, with hopes of securing gold medals at the 2025 Bangkok SEA Games and the World Karate Premier Series competitions.
Speaking to Scoop, newly appointed national head coach R. Sharmendran said the coaching team had decided not to rush the 21-year-old’s recovery.
He added that Arif, who competes in the men’s 84kg category, will require more than 10 months to fully heal.
“It’s unfortunate, especially at such a crucial time of the year with many upcoming major tournaments for our national team. Arif is the golden boy of our team and always kept everyone motivated and cheerful during training sessions.
“Initially, we thought that he could recover in three months, but based on the information we received from the National Sports Institute (NSI), the recovery will take more than 10 months.
“From Makaf’s coaching team’s perspective, we also need at least three months to get him back in shape after his recovery period. Thus, we have decided not to put pressure on Arif and have chosen Sureeya as his replacement for the major tournaments this year. It’s also impossible for us to register Arif for tournaments this year, including the SEA Games, as the registration deadline closes in July.
“We pray for Arif’s full recovery and hope he comes back stronger than ever. We will also ensure that Sureeya gives his best in all the tournaments he will be competing in this year, and we will train him to be more versatile by preparing him to compete in other weight categories if needed,” said Sharmendran when contacted.
Since karate’s SEA Games debut in 1987, Malaysia has been a dominant force, winning 126 medals to date.
At the Asian Games, karate has also been a significant medal prospect, with Malaysia securing 31 medals – eight golds, seven silvers, and 16 bronzes – placing the nation fourth in the all-time medal standings. — February 14, 2025