KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 (Bernama) -- The President of Malaysia Athletics (MA), Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, has denied claims by national discus thrower, Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin, that he was a victim of intimidation from the top leadership of the sports body.
He, however, believes that the athlete's actions might have been influenced by certain individuals ahead of the 22nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the sports body, which is scheduled for this Sunday.
"I have never been directly involved with athletes, but in athletics, Irfan is one of my favorite athletes. Just before he left for South Korea, he informed me that since he had already won a bronze, he would try to get gold, and I said Alhamdulillah.
"But if he is speaking on behalf of a third party, I will find that third party. For me, Irfan has no problem. If he says he was threatened, I swear I did not do such a thing," he said at a press conference held here today.
Earlier, through media reports, Irfan revealed that he experienced emotional pressure due to the alleged threats, which he claimed came from Shahidan and several senior MA officials.
Irfan disclosed that the incident occurred between June 1 and 3, shortly after he brought home a bronze medal from the 2025 Asian Athletics Championship in Gumi, South Korea.
The MA’s election of office bearers for the 2015-2019 term is scheduled on June 15.
-- BERNAMA
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