The family of 18-year-old sprinter Danish Irfan Tamrin has lodged a formal complaint with the Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF), supported by WhatsApp evidence. They alleged that a national coach forced Danish to withdraw from the 4x100m relay squad, stripping him of a deserved spot and exposing flaws in the national selection process.
Danish recently returned from the ASEAN School Games in Brunei with a stellar haul: a silver in the 100m and golds in the 200m and 4x100m relay. His season’s best of 10.61 seconds in the 100m ranked him among the top four fastest sprinters in Malaysia, making him qualified for a slot in the SEA Games relay team.
Danish Irfan Tamrin and the Malaysian 4x100m relay team celebrate after winning the gold medal in the 200m event at the ASEAN School Games. Photo by Noor Haslinda |
However, when the Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF) released the roster on Nov. 19, Danish was omitted. The relay spot was instead given to senior teammate Khairul Hafiz Jantan, whose performance this season has been statistically inferior.
A week later, while Danish was still in Brunei, his coach allegedly sent him detailed instructions via WhatsApp on how to draft a withdrawal letter citing “back pain.”
The leaked messages appear to show the coach dictating the letter line-by-line, from the subject header to the specific excuse. Confused and fearful of punishment, Danish asked, “Write what, coach?” before ultimately complying with the instructions.
“My son was healthy. He had no back injury,” said Danish’s mother, Noor Haslinda, as quoted by Free Malaysia Today (FMT). “He was told to write exactly what the coach wanted.”
On Dec. 1, Danish underwent a comprehensive medical examination at the National Sports Institute (ISN). The official report concluded that he was fully fit to compete, directly contradicting the “back pain” claims in his withdrawal letter.
With evidence in hand, the family attempted to appeal to the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM). However, the appeal was rejected on Dec. 3 because the submission deadline had already passed.
The situation escalated on Dec. 6, when Danish’s parents met with MAF Secretary-General Nurhayati Karim, who promised a transparent investigation.
However, later that evening, the family received disturbing information that the coach had allegedly threatened that Danish might be “blacklisted” by the federation.
In response, Danish’s father, Tamrin Hashim, sent a “Letter of Concern” on Dec. 8, demanding written assurances that his son would not face retaliation for speaking out.
“This information, although unverified, is extremely worrying,” the family wrote. “It concerns the future of a young athlete trying to build a career and reputation in national sport.”
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Danish Irfan’s parents, Noor Haslinda and Tamrin Hashim, share their thoughts on their son’s controversial exclusion from the SEA Games 33 roster. Photo by MAF |
According to FMTthe scandal highlights a systemic issue in Malaysian athletics: the ultimate power of coaches in the selection process and a lack of supervision in the system.
The WhatsApp messages, if authenticated, provide damning proof of the coach directly instructing the athlete to write false information, while the ISN medical report exposes the fabricated reason for Danish’s removal from the squad.
MAF has yet to publicly comment on the specific allegations or the threatening messages, though officials have stated they will not tolerate unprofessional conduct.
A sports official commented that this incident “has no precedent and a breach of trust at the heart of athlete management.”
The conclusion of MAF will determine not only Danish’s future but also the integrity of Malaysia’s protection for young athletes from abuse of power.
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