GROWING disillusionment with the state of Malaysian athletics will be put aside for a week as the future stars of track and field take centre-stage at the Malaysian Schools Championships in Kangar from today.
Athletes from 13 states, Kuala Lumpur and Labuan will battle it out over five days in the Under-18, Under-15 and Under-12 categories, striving for glory in a battle-scarred sport which is fast losing credibility due to the ineptitude of its administrators.
As bad as things are, the young athletes gathering at the Utama Stadium this week will probably be oblivious to the failings of the upper echelons and concerned only with doing their best.
The Malaysian Schools Championships has long acted as a rite of passage for national athletes, the stage scouts scour the field for development.
Last year's championships saw Sarawak dominate the show with a 21-gold haul, leaving Terengganu and Perak far behind on nine gold each.
The East Malaysians are again set to rule the roost though the fact that no meet record was broken in the Under-18 category in Ipoh was concerning.
However, with the Malaysia Games just two months away, expect several athletes to step up to the mark with Kedah strongly represented.
Chief among them is Noor Shahidatun Nadia Zuki, last year's Under-15 triple jump and long jump champion who steps up to the Under-18 category.
Nadia, of Kedah, broke onto the scene when she won the long jump gold at the Asean Schools Games as a 14-year-old in 2010 and has been ear-marked to better jumper Ngiew Sin Mei's national records.
Having qualified for the World Junior Championships in July, Nadia should easily win her pet event, the triple jump, this morning to set the tone for the week.
Her Kedah teammate Tan Wei Heng, the best athlete in the Under-18 boys' category last year, returns to defend his treble of middle-distance events in the 800m, 1,500m and 5,000m.
Another athlete who has qualified for the World Junior Championship is Ku Amir Syazwan Ku Arif of Kedah, who like Nadia, steps up from the Under-15 to the Under-18 where he will attempt a 200m-400m double.
Kelantan's Nik Norzilawati Nik Wil is a strong favourite to dominate the girls' Under-18 middle and long distance events while Kuala Lumpur's Nur Amanina Tugimin is one to watch in the sprints.
Selangor's M. Shandyiani expects to retain her high jump title while Iskandar Alwi of Johor will attempt to win a rare high jump-pole vault double.
Read more: ATHLETICS: Future stars in the limelight - Other - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/other/athletics-future-stars-in-the-limelight-1.86443#ixzz1vqrStbde
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