The Malaysian Sailing Association (MSA) are scrambling to get the services of a foreign coach in an effort to prepare national sailing athlete, Nur Shazrin Mohamad Latif, who has booked a slot for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
MSA Chief Executive Officer Mazlan Othman said the matter is still under consideration by the National Sports Council (MSN) and will be based on the performance of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games gold medal winner at the Asian Sailing Championships, which will take place from Dec 10-20 in Pattaya, Thailand.
“There is a programme (for Nur Shazrin) that’s why if possible we want her to be trained by a foreign coach and be based in Europe but it is still in discussion with MSN.
But it depends on the qualification round in Pattaya even though she has already qualified because she has to see the performance of her other teammates as well.
“Despite having a local coach (Mohd Hafizi Roslee) who is really good, we need to go forward if we want to do better in the Paris Olympics because we need foreign input to ensure that Nur Shazrin at least if she doesn’t get a medal is in the top 15,” he said when met after the Sports Working Committee Meeting (JKK) at MSN, here today.
Nur Shazrin, 25, who contributed the gold medal at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games in the Women’s ILCA6 event confirmed a place on merit to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
In the meantime, Mazlan also expressed hope that the national sailing squad will be able to book two more slots to Paris through Khairulnizam Afendy (ILKA7) and Muhammad Fauzi Kaman Shah and Juni Karimah (470 mixed) who will also participate in the Asian Sailing Championships.
He said if they were successful at the tournament, Malaysia would certainly be able to match the achievement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games which saw four national representatives compete at it.
“We feel that he (Khairulnizam) can qualify for the Olympics but his strongest competition is from South Korea.
So success will be based on other factors such as wind, waves and so on. Also relying on Muhammad Fauzi and Juni.
However for them to book a slot for the Olympic Games, they need to at least get on the podium in Pattaya,“ he said. -Bernama
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