KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysia Karate Federation (Makaf) has ramped up preparations for the 2025 Bangkok SEA Games by bringing in international sparring partners to train with the national development squad.
This initiative aims to transition the development squad into senior athletes, with the goal of maintaining Malaysia’s position as a regional karate powerhouse.
Under the guidance of former national karateka R. Sharmendran, the development squad consists of athletes aged 14 to 17, who have already participated in several international tournaments this year.
Among these was the 13th World Junior, Cadet & U21 Championships in Venice, where six athletes reached the quarterfinals.
Speaking to Scoop, Makaf president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad expressed his satisfaction with Sharmendran’s efforts in nurturing young talents for the future.
Sharmendran, 32, is one of Malaysia’s most accomplished karatekas, with four SEA Games gold medals (2017, 2019, 2022, and 2023).
He currently leads the national development squad on a two-year contract with Makaf, with the aim of assembling a competitive senior team for the 2027 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.
After undergoing six anterior cruciate ligament surgeries over nine years, Sharmendran retired from the sport last year.
“A lot of effort has been put in by Sharmendran and his team to ensure a clean sweep of all medals at the Bangkok SEA Games.
“They’ve brought in foreign exponents to train with us and have sent our athletes abroad for sparring. These experiences have been invaluable for the development squad.
“We won’t stop here; we’ll continue sending these athletes to more competitions next year to help them transition into senior athletes ahead of the Bangkok games.
“I admire the level of responsibility shown by Sharmendran, and confident he will soon become the national senior karate head coach if he continues working at this pace,” Azmi said after the 211th Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) executive council meeting at Bukit Kiara yesterday.
Azmi also expressed gratitude to the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) for advocating the inclusion of karate in the Bangkok SEA Games, after it was excluded by the games federation last year.
“It’s great news for the country, and we thank OCM for their support. We’ve always been one of the main medal contributors at the SEA Games and will give our all in Bangkok,” he added.
Since karate’s debut at the SEA Games in 1987, Malaysia has been a dominant force, winning 126 medals to date.
In 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. — November 10, 2024
