We are delighted to welcome Malaysian Paralympic athlete, Muhamad Ashraf Bin Muhammad Haisham (Ashraf), and his trainers to ISKL as we commence a new partnership with the Malaysian Paralympic Development Program for their athletes to use our excellent facilities to train in the lead-up to the games in Tokyo in September 2020.
Ashraf, who hails from Pangkor Island, Perak, is one of Malaysia’s leading Para athletes. He is a long-distance runner who has represented Malaysia around the world in Para games, including the Para Asean Games in KL in 2017 where he won Gold in the 400m, 800m and 1,500m.
Head of School, Rami Madani is looking forward to joining Ashraf trackside for his first training session next Monday, although he says he is unlikely to challenge him to a race. He says, “I am amazed by the athleticism and determination of Ashraf and other Para athletes. As a proudly inclusive school, we at ISKL are genuinely thrilled to have him and the team on campus and hope this will be the beginning of a long partnership with this program.”
Ashraf lost his arm in a motorcycle accident in 2013 and so competes in the Amputation category at competitions. When he’s not on the track, he is also studying for a Bachelor in Sport Science (Hons) at University Malaya.
His trainer, Ahmad Rafee Bin Arifin, who previously represented Malaysia in Para games as a distance runner, will join Ashraf for his morning and afternoon sessions at ISKL. As other athletes qualify for the games, we hope they will join Ashraf at ISKL to train.
ISKL Director of Activities and Athletics, Ryan Naughton is excited by the prospect of having world-class trainers and athletes training side-by-side with ISKL’s track and field team. He says, “To have access to trainers at this level and be able to learn from them is a great opportunity for ISKL athletes and coaches. We are excited for our ISKL athletes to be able to see the determination and hard work these para athletes put into their training, and to learn from them.”
