KUALA LUMPUR: Taekwondo Malaysia (TM) are hoping to get a coach from South Korea to whip the national Kyorugi exponents into shape and qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
TM secretary-general R. Dhanaraj (pix) said they need a coach of high calibre to help raise the performance levels of exponents like Muhammad Syafiq Zuber and Sebastian Tan Chung Wan, who are gunning to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
“We are in the process of getting the profiles of the South Korean coaches and will hold an interview with them before making an announcement next January.
“The coaches are all former Asian bronze and silver medallists, have coaching experience and have been recommended to us by the Korea Taekwondo Association,” he said when met after the sports working committee meeting at the National Sports Council (NSC) here today.
Dhanaraj said the coach would also be tasked with handling the national senior and backup squads.
Meanwhile, he said he would rearrange the training programme since the qualifying period for Paris 2024 had been brought forward from May to March next year.
“Initially, we were supposed to have a programme in South Korea in May but we will change it and maybe send them next February and, when they return home, they will be involved in the Olympic qualifiers.
“Sebastian is based in the United States and is undergoing the training programme there. So, we will monitor him through his coach. As for Syafiq, we will send him to South Korea for training,” he said.
At the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games, Muhammad Syafiq clinched gold in the below 80-kilogramme (kg) event while Sebastian won bronze in the below 54-kg event. -Bernama
