GOMBAK, 15 February 2016: The International Islamic University Malaysia rowing team or more commonly referred to as the Marlins has begun preparations ahead of the Majlis Sukan Universiti Malaysia games (Sukan MASUM). The annual tournament is scheduled to be held from 4 to 10 April.
The team led by newly appointed captain Ahmed Wafi, a third year Communication student, is confident it can make an impact in this year’s edition of the tournament. The team comprises thirty men and women who are hard at work to make a name for themselves on a higher pedigree.
“A lot of us in the team are new to the sport and we will need a lot of training but I am more than confident that the seniors will help us be where they want us to be,” the captain said enthusiastically.
For now they have only begun congregated fitness training on land but they are likely to start boat training on 21 February.
The team’s coach, Mohamed Shahrol Mat Saad believes that fitness training is more important compared to boat training. He stressed the importance on fitness before learning the technique on the boat.
With most of the seniors who contributed to the glory days of IIUM rowing having already graduated, the Marlins look to training a legacy of tomorrow’s champions.
“We are well aware that we are unable to create champions in a few months, so this tournament will act as an eye opener for the new generation of rowers,” the captain added.
The more senior rowers will be looking to make a greater impact on this year’s tournament but they feel that it will be difficult with only a handful of rowers who have the experience on water.***