THE LONG TRADITION IN HIGH JUMP

What is that Malaysia having over years been always able to produce calibre high jumpers who have gone to do proud to the national in international field?

Malaysia has dominated the men’s high jump in the SEA Games since 1977 with the likes of Baljit Singh, Ramjit Nairu, Ho Yoon Wah, S. Kesavan, Lou Cwee Peng, Loo Kum Zee, Lee Hup Wei and Nauraj Singh Randhawa, while among the women Nor Asiah Ismail and Yap Sean Yee come to mind.

Hup Wei has taken high jump to another level after Nauraj qualified for the Rio Olympics three years ago with his 2.30m qualifying jump at the Singapore Open.

Hup Wei’s success made history as the first Malaysian athlete to reach the finals of the prestigious World Athletics Championships, as the 32-year-old former national record holder, made a 2.29-metre jump in the Group B qualifying round at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, which was also his personal best, to qualify for the finals.

In the final, Hup Wei, however, failed to do a 2.30m jump to match the national record held by teammate Nauraj, when he only managed to hit 2.27m and finished eighth of twelve finalists.

Hup Wei, the winner of Asian Championships 2007, who is also SEA Games gold medalist, had qualified for the Beijing Olympics 2008 and London Olympics 2012.

Timesport spoke to past and present coaches and athletics administrators, on their views and observations of the long tradition in Malaysia producing calibre high jumpers.

Was it our school’s system, the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) programme, kids love to jump at school or good coaches?

In the case of Nauraj, it was parental support and a good coach in his long time Uzbeskiatan coach Alim Ahmejanov, guiding his talent for eight years before Australian Alex Stewart took over.

The lanky Nauraj, also gave up hockey before switching to athletics.

The views given are a combination of many. Below are the views:

K. Jayabalan: (former national coach and president of Panther Athletic Club in Ipoh)

High Jump prowess is a trend in Malaysia since the 60s. It has become a tradition to produce calibre high jumpers because athletes are motivated to emulate success of previous jumpers.

Besides, former jumpers too have played a role to mould new jumpers as they become coaches.

Also the fact, that there is little competition in high jump because of limited jumpers, make many who take up the discipline do well to win medals and thus in turn motivates them to improve further and continue to win more medals and in higher competition.

Datuk A Vaithilingam: (former Selangor Schools Sports Council secretary general in the 70s and 80s):

Many talents in various discipline were spotted then because of the sports system in schools where we had inter-class, inter-house and the school’s sports meet, where all students were required to compete in all events and many were spotted from there.

We also had dedicated sports teachers in the various sports, who also besides being coaches, acted as talent scouts.

Many of the high jumpers were groomed by these teachers from school before they made their mark at national and international level.

We also spotted many from the district meets where many hidden talents were unearthed.

Rennie Martin (former teacher, schools and national coach)

I personally coached and turned Ho Yoon Wah from a basketball player to a high jumper, who went to become a national jumper who cleared 2.10m to win the 1981 Manila Sea Games. Another high jumper I groomed was Nor Asiah Ismail.

Many high jumpers have been spotted and groomed from the schools’ level and also then the Kem Bakat saw many spotted and groomed from here.

We also had good coaches at the grassroots level, which played a key role in spotting, converting to disciplines that suited the athlete.

Tan Choo Mong (Perak Sukma coach and former schools and national coach)

Teachers have played a key role in spotting talent. When I was the Perak schools chief coach, I had a school teacher ask me to take Low Cwee Peng whom he thought had talent. I took him under my wings and groomed him to national material.

 But high jump also has a tradition because of past jumpers who have done well. Champions breed more champions and this was the case for high jump.

However, the athlete also must have talent, discipline, the desire to high success and also the coaches and facilities were also in place.

Ramjit Nairu (Former national high jumper)

High jump has a strong tradition because of past champions. In my case, I was so impressed with former national jumper Baljit Singh in Sabah, that I took up the discipline when I was 18 years ago. I was lucky to have been taken under the wing of Baljit himself and competed with him before he retired and became my coach.

I went on to became a national jumper before I retired after the 1989 Sea Games in KL. I am presently the president of the Putatan District athletics club and do my bit to coach in the discipline besides having programmes for budding athletes from the district.

Jorg Teichmann (German athletics coach who was with the National Sports Insititute for 21 years. Currently co owns physiotherapy centre called Rehamed Therapy at UOA Business Park in Shah Alam.)

Good coaches for high jump has seen Malaysia keep its tradition in high jump.

I had personally coached Loo Kum Zee when he won the bronze medal at the Bangkok Asian Games in 1998 and also had Hup Wei under my wings.

The National Sports Council (NSC) have also had good coaches in various disciplines who have played a key role in constant flow of athletes in various disciplines.

There is generally a high interest in high jump in Malaysia and there are good grassroots coaches who put the athletes on the right track.

Balwant Singh Kler (athletics statistician and sports administrator)

Good coaches, past high jumpers who become role models and coaches and personally interest and encouragement of individuals, have played a key role in keeping the high jump tradition.

I have personally played a role to develop Ramjit by sponsoring him to competitions and exposing him before he made his mark.

ENDS.