New Athletes Have An Uphill Task

THE new athletes joining the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) will face an uphill task to match the seasoned campaigners in the training programme.

National back-up squad hurdles coach Ishtiaq Mobarak said it was going to be a challenge to groom the newcomers as they had a lot of catching up to do to emulate the seniors’ performance in junior competitions.

“The new recruits have not gone through the proper conditioning stage during the off season. Those who had trained with us over the yearend are in better shape as they had done general as well as specific conditioning.

New training environment: Newcomer Baihaqi (left) joining Azlan (centre) and Ajmal in training.

“Besides clocking the mileage, we also included heavy strength workouts and corrective drills in their conditioning regime.

“ Now, we are priming them to race in the new season. The training programme is a beautiful process when the athletes deliver the desired results in competitions because they have accomplished their respective goals with thorough planning and management,’’ Ishtiaq said.

Mohamed Baihaqi Razlan, the boys’ Under-15 200m hurdles gold medal winner, has joined Ishtiaq’s training programme.

The 15-year-old Mohamed Baihaqi, a former student of SMK Putera, Kota Baru, has checked into the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS).

He said he was delighted to earn the call up and was adjusting to the new environment.

Taking it in stride: A trainee undergoing training during a session.

“I will be competing in the boys’ Under-18 400m hurdles this year. I have heard a lot about Ishtiaq’s track record in producing junior hurdlers with sound techniques.

“It is a privilege to be given the opportunity to learn from a coach with strong credentials. My aim is to pick up the right hurdling skills to improve my performance,” he added.

However, Mohamed Baihaqi has to go through the corrective phase to lay a stronger basic foundation.

“He has to start all over again and learn the way to clear the hurdles with both legs because it will give him the option to switch from 110m to the 400m hurdles.

“He has the basic strength and is getting into the groove in discarding his old hurdling habits. It is not impossible for him to develop the neuromuscular co-ordination to hurdle with both legs,” Ishtiaq said after a training session at the National Sports Council (NSC) Training Centre in Bukit Jalil.

Muhd Ajmal Mat Hassan, a trainee in Ishtiaq’s training programme, has earned a place in the national back-up squad based on his promising outing in the 110m hurdles at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India, last year.

The 15-year-old registered 14.45s to finish sixth in the final against a strong field of other Under-18 athletes.

“Based on his time, Muhd Ajmal has qualified for the World Junior Championships in Italy in July.

“My aim is to clock 14s in the 110m hurdles this year,” said Muhd Ajmal.

Three other hurdlers, Abdul Azlan Samsuddin, Raja Nursheena Raja Azhar and Mohamed Rohaizat Jamil, a BJSS pre-university student, are also training under the watchful eyes of Ishtiaq.

Abdul Azlan and Raja Nursheena (both 17 years old) are training full time while they await their SPM results.

Abdul Azlan said he took a one-month break to prepare for his SPM examinations.

“I struggled a bit during the first three days of conditioning training in Cameron Highlands recently.

“During our two-week training stint there, we trained up to three times a day.

“I felt the soreness all over my body when I pushed myself to keep up with others.

“But, I have regained my form now. Besides improving on my personal best in the 400m hurdles, I also want to do well at the national championships this year.

“It will be great to bring my time down from 53.35s to 53s flat,” said Azlan, who aspires to qualify for SEA Games in Laos at the end of the year.