Sadat’s training not affected despite dual roles

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Malaysia’s Sadat Marzuqi Ajisan is juggling a physical education teaching internship and training as he prepares to compete in the hammer throw at the Asian Games in Nagoya. With national record holder Jackie Wong absent, Sadat aims to improve his personal best with new coaching support, highlighting a focus on technique refinement despite limited practice time.

Malaysia’s national hammer thrower Sadat Marzuqi Ajisan is managing dual responsibilities as a physical education teacher and an athlete while preparing for the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. At 25, Sadat is balancing a morning teaching internship at SMK Seri Serdang with his training regimen, a schedule that has limited him to one practice session per day over the past two months.

The hammer throw event at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium is scheduled for Friday. With national record holder Jackie Wong Siew Cheer stepping back from competition to concentrate on coaching, Sadat has emerged as Malaysia’s leading hammer thrower. He aims to surpass his personal best of 65.24 meters, set at the Taiwan Open in June.

Sadat acknowledged the challenges of maintaining consistent training amidst his teaching commitments but said the pressure serves as motivation rather than a hindrance. “I need to do better than before,” he stated, emphasizing that his focus is on personal improvement rather than replacing Jackie Wong.

His preparation has involved a significant shift in training methods under the guidance of Algerian coach Hakim Toumi, a multiple-time African Championships gold medallist, alongside Malaysian coach and 2011 SEA Games gold medallist Tan Song Hwa. Sadat described Toumi’s approach as placing “significant emphasis on technique and fine-tuning execution,” contrasting it with his previous routines. He noted that his strength levels are adequate and that refining his technique is key to achieving throws beyond the 65-meter mark.

Further support will come from Hungarian former discus thrower Robert Fazekas, who will serve as Sadat’s coach during the Games. Fazekas, a 2002 European Athletics Championships gold medallist, has prior experience coaching Malaysian throwers, including Irfan Shamsudin and Jonah Chang Rigan.

Despite the demanding balance between his teaching internship as part of his degree program at Universiti Putra Malaysia and athletic training, Sadat remains confident in his ability to deliver a strong performance at the Asian Games.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.