Karim’s daughter submitted Asian Games accreditation application

Nurhayati Ibrahim, the secretary-general of Malaysia Athletics (MA), has submitted an accreditation application on behalf of her father, Karim Ibrahim, to the Asian Games. OCM confirmed this on March 11, stating that only a national sports association's president or secretary-general could submit such an application. Karim, who received a lifetime ban from athletics in 2018, was named as the sole representative for Malaysia despite his ban.

Malaysia competed in 30 of the 43 sports at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, with MA responsible for checking the suitability of its nominee. Karim announced his leave of absence from his duties at MA in May, indicating he would step away from daily management and decision-making. The nomination of Karim by his daughter has raised questions about the decision-making process within MA, as it was not discussed by the federation's executive council or its acting president.

MA has not provided any statement on the nomination, and neither Nurhayati nor Karim have responded to FMT's requests for comments. The sports commissioner is expected to issue a formal decision on Karim's position within MA this week.