Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s athletics coaching lineup could soon be bolstered by the arrival of international coaches with a proven track record of producing Olympic champions, said Malaysia Athletics (OM) Technical Director Robert J Ballard. He stated that the national athletics governing body has shortlisted several potential candidates to strengthen the national squad and athlete development programme, but the final decision lies with the National Sports Council (MSN).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the names suggested by OM have either coached or produced Olympic gold medallists. Ballard emphasized the focus on a mix of foreign and local coaches to enhance the team’s capabilities across various disciplines, not just sprint events. He acknowledged that these changes require time and funding, and assured that an official announcement will be made once everything is finalized.

OM recently confirmed that a new coaching lineup for the national athletics squad is expected to be announced soon. Ballard mentioned that in a previous interview, they proposed several coaches as part of their long-term strategy to expand the coaching structure from the current nine coaches to 22.

Media reports had earlier highlighted vacancies in the athletics coaching team, particularly in sprint events, following the non-renewal of Mohd Poad Md Kassim’s contract at the end of last year.