UMPSA targets more innovation opportunities for National Sports Industry Development

KUALA LUMPUR, 20 April 2026 — Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) continues to strengthen national sports through the development of high-impact sports technology.

The UMPSA Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ts. Dr. Yatimah Alias, together with the Director of the Sports Technology Innovation Centre (STIC), Associate Professor Ts. Dr. Mohd Hasnun Arif Hassan, shared UMPSA’s latest innovations, namely RimauStrike and Spike Trainer, intelligent training machines designed to enhance the efficiency, consistency, and performance of sepak takraw athletes during an interview on Bernama Radio at Wisma Bernama, Kuala Lumpur.

What makes RimauStrike unique is its ability to launch balls at adjustable speeds with consistent trajectories, helping athletes improve reflexes, ball control, and match readiness.

Meanwhile, Spike Trainer supports fold kick technique training more systematically.

Safety innovations such as the ProB bandana have also been developed to reduce the risk of injuries.

More proudly, the innovations gained attention after being showcased to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and became part of the efforts to strengthen the development of sepak takraw in the country.

The development of these technologies also involved strategic collaboration with the Malaysia Sepaktakraw Federation (PSM) and the Pahang Sports Council (MSP), demonstrating the strength of synergy between the university and the sports industry.

According to Professor Ts. Dr. Yatimah Alias, UMPSA remains committed to becoming a leader in engineering technology and advanced TVET while producing innovations that deliver tangible impact towards national development.

“I hope these innovations can be utilised by sports institutions, schools, universities, and sports associations to improve the quality of sepak takraw athlete training.

“In the long term, these technologies also have the potential to be commercialised as local sports technology products capable of supporting the development of the sports industry in Malaysia.

“In the future, UMPSA plans to introduce several new features such as directional control for ball launching, variations in ball speed and spin, control systems using mobile applications, and integration with athlete training data analysis systems,” she said.

She added that these improvements are expected to transform RimauStrike into an intelligent training system for sepak takraw.

“UMPSA also hopes to create more innovations to improve the quality and performance of national sports, including Malaysian Paralympic sports,” she said, noting that UMPSA also has the Inclusive Services Centre (PPI).

Meanwhile, she said that as a university under the Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN), UMPSA aspires to become an advanced TVET hub that gathers the best young talents from across the region to develop new technologies and create practical solutions to strategic issues faced not only in Malaysia but also among ASEAN countries.

“With extensive experience in engineering, global industrial networks, and a technology-focused research ecosystem, we are confident that UMPSA is capable of playing this role.

“In fact, advanced TVET is no longer solely about basic skills.

“It is about preparing the next generation with strong capabilities in critical thinking, technological competency, and the courage to lead future industries,” she added.

She also shared UMPSA’s success in developing the Tactical Utility Autonomous Hybrid (TUAH), an advanced autonomous platform featuring edge intelligence and a centralised control system through collaboration between UMPSA and DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies Sdn. Bhd. (DEFTECH), which was showcased at the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and DEFTECH booths during Defence Services Asia 2026 (DSA 2026) held at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre.

By: Naqiah Puaad, Centre for Corporate Communications

Translation by: Ts. Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, UMPSA Press