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Ariva eyes glorious swansong at this year’s SEA Games

PETALING JAYA: There are fears several members of the national karate squad may call it a day when P. Arivalagan makes way for a foreign coach at the end of the year.
But rather than harp on the recent episode regarding his surprise ouster and reinstatement, Arivalagan wants his exponents to focus on making sure that his last hurrah at the Indonesia SEA Games in November turns out to be a great one.

The Indonesia SEA Games from Nov 11-20 will be the last time he will handle the national squad after the Malaysian Karate Federation (Makaf) reached a compromise with the National Sports Council (NSC) during a joint-working committee meeting on Tuesday.

The Makaf technical committee had earlier decided not to renew his contract they have but now allowed him to stay on as the head kumite coach until the end of this year after the NSC stepped in to help find a solution.
“It looks like the SEA Games will be my last assignment with the national team. It’s sad but, in a way, it’s also a challenge to me to make sure that I guide the exponents to deliver the goods at the SEA Games,” said the seven-time SEA Games champion, who began coaching the elite squad in 2004.


“I want to make sure we are in a position to challenge strongly for the gold medals.
“I had a short meeting with the athletes to brief them on the plans for the year and we will try to bring home six gold medals from Indonesia.

“We know it’s a tough call but I have confidence in my exponents, especially the women.
“It’s not just the seniors but I also have several juniors capable of shouldering the gold medal challenge by the time the SEA Games are held.”

The last time Indonesia hosted the SEA Games in 1997, Malaysia only managed to win two golds – through Arivalagan and C. Muralitharan – despite having finalists in 11 disciplines.

Malaysia finished as overall champions in karate in the last two editions of the SEA Games.
They bagged eight gold medals in Korat in 2007 and five in Laos two years later.


By LIM TEIK HUAT


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