MAF To Find Ways To Attract Top Stars To M'sian GP Athletics Meet

KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) will conduct a post-mortem to study weaknesses in the first edition of the two-day Malaysian Open Grand Prix Athletics Championships, which ended at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil Sunday. MAF president Karim Ibrahim attributed the lack of top-class foreign athletes this time was due to them taking part in ‘better’ competitions in preparation for the 23rd edition of the Asian Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar from April 21-24. “We will review our weaknesses so that we can better attract the best athletes, especially from Asia, next year, which is the Olympic year, by offering more exciting incentives such as cash prizes if they beat the All Comers record,” he said Sunday, adding that the GP meet would become an annual championships beginning next year. He explained that national athletes who won gold and silver medals in this year’s inaugural GP edition would automatically qualify to compete in the second edition next year. Karim also reminded national athletes to continue to raise their performance level ahead of next month’s Asian meet in Doha and the Manila SEA Games in the Philippines in November. He said only nine national athletes had qualified for the SEA Games thus far, while the list of athletes for the Asian meet would be finalised soon. Karim also said that he was pleased with the performance of Australian-born Russel Alexander Nasir Taib in the just-concluded GP meet, adding that MAF would consider including the national sprinter in the National Sports Council’s (NSC) training programme. Russel, who set the national 200m record of 20.77 seconds at a meet in Australia on March 23, could only clock 21.12s for the silver medal in the same event at the GP meet. He then finished last among eight runners in the 100m by clocking 10.65s. “We have to give him time as he is still young. I hope he will continue to do his best in upcoming meets and bag the 200m gold at the Manila SEA Games,” said Karim. -- BERNAMA