THE dismal performances of Malaysian track and field athletes in the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games, has team manager M Iyaru fuming mad.
“They did not justify their presence here and didn’t perform up to our expectations and not satisfactory at all. Not even improving on their personal best, let alone win medals,” Iyaru told Bernama.
Among the 200-strong Malaysian contingent, only five from athletics (just half the size of the Sir Lankan athletics team) participated in the track and field events, namely high jump, pole vault, 20km race walk, 1,500m and 400m.
High jumper Lee Hup Wei only managed a 2.23m last Saturday and failed to improve his personal best of 2.27m, which he did at the China Athletics Open in 2008.
Other casualties in Delhi were national walkers Lo Choon Siang and Lim Teoh Boon, both lost miserably in the 20km race walk, where Lo finished second last and Lim was last in the event.
Meanwhile, middle distance runner Vadivellan Mahendran lost in the heats of the 800m race and did not take part in the 1,500m due to injury.
Women pole vaulter Roslinda Samsu, with a personal best of 4.15m, has yet to see action as her event is slated for today, but with world class jumpers in the fray, (three Australians taking part in Delhi had done 4.40m), the manager may be in for another disappointment.
“They did not even improve their personal best. May be it is the psychological effect, (because) they are participating in a high level games. We need to do something to improve our athletes,” he added.
On Sunday, chef-de-mission Tan Sri Abdul Halil Abd Mutalif also commented that it was time Malaysia focused more on athletics as they continue to fail at international level.
“We need to scout for more talents, something has to be done,” he had said. — Bernama