KUALA LUMPUR — Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad has defended his decision to contest for the deputy president role in the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), saying he has “nothing to gain personally” and only wants to serve Malaysian sports.
His response comes after sports fans online questioned his nomination, alleging it was due to his close ties with OCM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria and current acting deputy president Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin.
Others took aim at his leadership credentials, calling him an uninspired choice based on his past roles in national sports bodies.
“There are no personal gains behind my decision,” Nur Azmi told Scoop. “My goal is to serve the nation and help our athletes deliver medals for the country—not for personal recognition.”
The veteran sports administrator is set to face Malaysian Lawn Bowls Federation president Datuk Awalan Abdul Aziz in the race for OCM’s No. 2 post for the 2025–2029 term. Hamidin will not defend the position.
Nur Azmi has over three decades of experience in sports administration, having served as deputy president of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC), and held management roles with multiple football clubs.
He is currently president of the Malaysian Karate Federation (Makaf) and Melaka FC—who were crowned A1 Semi-Pro League champions this season and are eyeing promotion to the Super League.
“I’ve been in this industry for 30 years. I know what I’m capable of,” he said. “I was nominated by OCM members themselves, and I don’t understand why netizens are so upset.”
“I step up when there’s a need. I feel the time has come for me to play a bigger role.”
As Makaf president, Nur Azmi oversaw Malaysia’s karate triumph at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, where Muhammad Arif Afifuddin Malik took gold in the men’s under-84kg kumite event.
He also serves as vice president of the Asean Karate Federation and helped establish the National Karate Centre in Jasin, Melaka, set to open next month.
Previously, he led Malaysia’s contingent at the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam, where the country bagged 39 gold, 45 silver and 89 bronze medals.
“If I’m elected, I want to make sure our athletes competing at the SEA Games, Asian Games, and the Olympics are properly supported and well-prepared.” — April 14, 2025