KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur has the infrastructure, weather and accommodation the German athletics team wants – but the lack of daytime flights to Beijing could derail its plans to use the Malaysian capital as its training base for the 2027 World Athletics Championship.
That was the key concern raised by German Athletics Federation lead team manager Danny Scheinpflug during a brief presentation at a leading hotel here on Sept 14.
His presentation ended with a simple appeal: “Let’s do this together.”
Scheinpflug hopes Malaysia can embrace that spirit of togetherness and help the German team establish its base here ahead of the championships.
“Kuala Lumpur has been a good omen for German athletes,” he said.
He was referring to the team’s four-week training camp in the Malaysian capital last year, before it travelled to the 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China, where its runners enjoyed success in multiple events.
“I like it here. The athletes like it here. You have everything. The weather is perfect to condition us for China, and there is good infrastructure and accommodation.
“But there’s one big problem. There are no daytime flights to Beijing. That is a big, big problem for us.”
Scheinpflug explained that evening and late-night travel was not an option for his athletes as it could disrupt their performance.
That concern could force the team to consider alternative training bases.
The German team plans to arrive in Asia by Aug 31, 2027, slightly more than a week before the World Athletics Championship, which will be held at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing from Sept 10-19.
The athletes and officials will arrive and depart in waves, depending on the schedules of their respective events.
About 125 individuals are expected to be part of the team, including 75 athletes.
Among the German track and field stars expected to compete in Beijing are 2020 Olympic long jump champion Malaika Mihambo, 2024 Olympic shot put champion Yemisi Mabry, hurdler Emil Agyekum, sprinter Owen Ansah and the women’s 4x100m relay team.
Scheinpflug is understood to have met representatives from the National Sports Council and the National Sports Institute, as well as an airline representative, to discuss the team’s predicament.
Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing currently operate either late in the evening or in the early hours of the morning.
It remains unclear whether the German team has approached its Chinese counterparts to explore the possibility of facilitating daytime flights from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Beijing has two international airports – Capital International Airport and Daxing International Airport – both of which operate flights around the clock.
Beijing Capital International Airport’s route network spans 225 destinations in 57 countries, including 97 international and regional destinations. The number of intercontinental destinations has risen to 52.
Last year, Daxing Airport handled 345,800 flights and 53.6184 million passenger trips, representing year-on-year increases of 6.32 per cent and 8.45 per cent, respectively.
