SAI Thiruvananthapuram hosts Malaysia's Asian Games 2026 training camp
Synopsis
India's SAI facilities are quietly becoming a pre-Asian Games training hub for Asian nations — Nepal's boxers at Guwahati, Iran's kabaddi players at Sonepat, and now Malaysia's middle-distance runners at Thiruvananthapuram, a centre their coach calls 'lucky' because it produced Olympians. That's soft power and competitive infrastructure working in tandem.
Key Takeaways
The SAI LNCPE Thiruvananthapuram centre hosted a month-long Malaysia Athletics training camp ending 10 September 2025 , ahead of Asian Games 2026 .
Malaysian athletes Wan Muhammad Fazri (800m) and Umar Osman (400m/800m) trained under coach Mohamed Azarudeen , a former Indian national team member.
The camp was facilitated at no cost to SAI, following a request by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) in July.
Athletes also competed at the World Athletics Continental Tour – Silver Level Meeting in Bhubaneswar on 22 August .
SAI centres also hosted boxers from Nepal (Guwahati) and kabaddi players from Iran (Sonepat) in similar Asian Games prep camps.
The Asian Games 2026 begin in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan on 19 September .
The Sports Authority of India (SAI)'s LNCPE centre in Thiruvananthapuram served as a high-performance training base for Malaysia's Asian Games 2026 preparations, with a month-long camp concluding on 10 September 2025. The initiative underscores the growing stature of SAI facilities as international pre-competition hubs ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, set to begin on 19 September.
Who Trained and Under Whom
The camp featured two Malaysian middle- and long-distance specialists — 800m athlete Wan Muhammad Fazri and 400m/800m runner Umar Osman — training under head coach Mohamed Azarudeen. The programme was organised by Malaysia Athletics, with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) having formally requested SAI LNCPE in July to facilitate boarding, lodging, and training arrangements at no cost to SAI.
Why India — and Why Thiruvananthapuram
Coach Azarudeen's choice of India was far from incidental. A former Indian national team athlete from 2020 to 2025, he was previously based at SAI Bengaluru before joining Malaysian Athletics. 'I know our facilities are very good, and I think it is a good opportunity for Malaysian Athletics to get exposure here,' he said.
Azarudeen was emphatic that training in an Asian competitive environment — rather than a European one — was deliberate strategy ahead of the Asian Games. 'The Asian Games are a top priority for us,' he noted, adding that exposure to Indian standards of competition was more directly relevant than European benchmarks. The squad also participated in the World Athletics Continental Tour – Silver Level Meeting in Bhubaneswar on 22 August as part of live-race conditioning.
The LNCPE centre itself holds a particular resonance. 'SAI Thiruvananthapuram is something very special. It is important to note the Olympians who represented India trained in Thiruvananthapuram SAI centre. That makes it special. I can say it is a lucky training centre,' Azarudeen said.
India's SAI Network as a Regional Training Hub
The Malaysian camp is one of several such international arrangements ahead of Asian Games 2026. Boxers from Nepal used the SAI Guwahati campus, while kabaddi players from Iran trained at the SAI Sonepat campus. Taken together, these arrangements signal a deliberate positioning of India's sports infrastructure as a regional resource — a soft-power play that also raises the competitive bar for domestic athletes sharing these facilities.
Notably, Azarudeen pointed out that 16 medals won by India at the previous Asian Games came from athletes who had trained at SAI Bengaluru alone — a data point that evidently informed his decision to base his Malaysian squad in India.
Cultural Exchange and Future Programmes
Beyond physical conditioning, Azarudeen highlighted the broader value of the camp. 'The culture that is shared between Malaysian Athletics and Indian Athletics is something that has been memorable. It is a lesson for them that they will carry for a lifetime,' he said, adding that exchange programmes between the two nations could help raise competitive levels on both sides.
What's Next
With the Asian Games 2026 opening in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan on 19 September, both Fazri and Osman will carry the training dividend from Thiruvananthapuram into competition shortly. The success of these multi-country SAI training partnerships is likely to encourage similar arrangements ahead of future multi-sport events, reinforcing India's emerging role as a high-performance training destination for Asian nations.
Point of View
Nepal in Guwahati, Iran in Sonepat — is more significant than any single story about it. India is effectively subsidising Asian competitors' pre-Games preparation, which is a deliberate soft-power gesture but also raises questions about the quid pro quo. The stronger argument, however, is competitive: sharing facilities with international athletes raises the bar for Indian trainees too. With 16 Asian Games medals traceable to SAI Bengaluru alone in the last cycle, the infrastructure clearly works — the question is whether India is extracting full diplomatic and commercial value from that reputation.
NationPress
15 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Malaysian athletes trained at SAI Thiruvananthapuram for Asian Games 2026?
Middle- and long-distance runners Wan Muhammad Fazri (800m) and Umar Osman (400m/800m) trained at the SAI LNCPE Thiruvananthapuram centre in a month-long camp that concluded on 10 September 2025. The camp was organised by Malaysia Athletics under head coach Mohamed Azarudeen.
Why did Malaysia choose India for its Asian Games training camp?
Coach Azarudeen, a former Indian national team athlete, chose India to expose his squad to a competitive Asian training environment directly relevant to the Asian Games. He noted that training against Indian athletes — a dominant force at the Asian Games, having won multiple medals from SAI-trained competitors — was more beneficial than preparing in a European setting.
What is the SAI LNCPE Thiruvananthapuram centre known for?
The SAI LNCPE (Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education) centre in Thiruvananthapuram is a high-performance athletics training facility that has produced several Olympians who represented India at the highest level. Coach Azarudeen called it a 'lucky training centre' because of that Olympian association.
Are other countries also using SAI facilities ahead of Asian Games 2026?
Yes. Boxers from Nepal trained at the SAI Guwahati campus, and kabaddi players from Iran used the SAI Sonepat campus as their pre-Games training base. The Malaysian camp in Thiruvananthapuram is part of a broader pattern of SAI centres hosting international delegations ahead of Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya.
When do the Asian Games 2026 begin and where are they held?
The Asian Games 2026 are scheduled to begin on 19 September in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The Games serve as the primary competitive target for the athletes who trained at SAI Thiruvananthapuram during the month-long Malaysian camp.
