MALAYSIA Athletics (MA) president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim is confident that the national squad will not return home empty-handed from the five-day Asian Athletics Championships 2025 in Gumi, South Korea from Wednesday (May 27).

He said that this is based on the performances of the athletes bound for the championships and the presence of discus thrower Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin, who won a medal in the previous edition two years ago.

“That is my opinion (that we won’t return empty-handed). Based on the achievements of some of our athletes, they have won medals before, like Irfan has won a silver and a bronze.

“So, we hope all those competing there (in Gumi) will give their best,” he told reporters when met at the flag handing-over ceremony to the national team who will be competing in Gumi.

Malaysia will be sending 29 athletes to Gumi, comprising 18 men and 11 women.

In the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok, Malaysia won a bronze medal through Muhammad Irfan, who hurled the discus to a distance of 59.63 metres.