KUALA LUMPUR: National karateka S. Prem Kumar has accepted the departure of Egyptian kumite coach Tamer Abdelraouf Mourssy, whose contract with the Malaysian Karate Federation (Makaf) was not renewed.
Tamer, 41, returned to Egypt after two years with the national team, a tenure that saw him guide Malaysia to several achievements.
He helped Arif Afifuddin Malik clinch the men's under-84kg kumite gold medal at last year's Hangzhou Asian Games, ending a 12-year drought for Malaysia.
The team also bagged four gold, one silver, and three bronze medals at the Phnom Penh Sea Games last year.
Prem, 30, said it was natural for coaches and athletes to come and go in sports.
However, he admitted to being surprised by Tamer's sudden exit.
"Besides the coach-athlete relationship, I had a brotherly bond with him. We had our ups and downs together, and I didn't expect him to leave this soon," said Prem.
"It's normal in sports for coaches and athletes to leave for various reasons. We just continue our training, regardless of who the coach is.
"We've not been informed about Tamer's replacement yet. For now, we'll wait for Makaf's announcement and continue training as usual."
In Tamer's absence, his assistants, S. Senthil Kumaran and L. Kunasilan, are conducting the training sessions.
Looking ahead, the national kumite team's main focus will be the Thailand Sea Games on Dec 7-19 next year.
"We'll have to see what the new head coach's plan will be," said Prem.
"For now, we're focusing on the Sea Games. Once the new coach takes charge, we'll have a clearer picture of what needs to be done."