KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — There was bad news for the national athletics squad when it was confirmed that head coach Mohd Manshahar Abdul Jalil, his wife and son have tested positive for Covid-19.
Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) president Datuk S.M. Muthu said Mohd Manshahar and his son are currently undergoing home quarantine for 14 days after being confirmed positive on Saturday.
“He told me via WhatsApp that he is in good condition and the level of infectivity is also low. We hope and pray for his speedy recovery,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.
Muthu said earlier that Mohd Manshahar, who had a high fever, went to see a doctor on Wednesday before taking the Covid-19 screening test on Saturday when the fever persisted.
According to Muthu, almost all the athletes under the Podium Programme are still undergoing training at the National Sports Council (NSC) on a quarantine-based concept, except for triple jumper Muhammad Hakimi Ismail, Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin (discus) and Iskandar Alwi (pole vault).
He said the back-up athletes were only scheduled to return to the NSC on June 16 while all the national athletes who had taken the Antigen Rapid Test Kit (RTK-Ag) tested negative.
Meanwhile, Mohd Manshahar’s wife, Herina Wong Abdullah was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Serdang Hospital yesterday, according to a post on the official Instagram of her daughter, singer Nur Nadia Natasha, 28, or better known as Tasha Manshahar.
“All praises be to Allah. Dad seems to be getting better. However, mummy has a lung infection and the oxygen level in her body is not good. Thus, the doctor has to intubate her to help her breathe until her condition stabilises,” said the eldest of three siblings. — Bernama
