KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) Selection Committee has decided to send a contingent of young and experienced athletes for the 2021 Vietnam SEA Games in Hanoi scheduled from November 21 to December 2.
OCM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria, who chaired the committee meeting today, said the combination will depend on the unique circumstances surrounding each sport and the respective national sports associations (NSA).
He said the committee comprising National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail, OCM secretary-general Datuk Mohd Nazifuddin Najib, National Sports Institute chief executive officer Md Ramli, former NSC director-general Datuk Mazlan Ahmad and former OCM secretary-general Datuk Sieh Kok Chi was presented with several different possible Team Malaysia composition.
“Following SEA Games 2019 in Manila, the government and OCM are looking to send a young team to the next SEA Games. The main objective is for us to invest in our young athletes and provide them with the opportunity and invaluable experience to kick-start their career.
“Consultations were conducted individually with NSAs and also NSC last September to further explore the idea of sending a young team to the 2021 SEA Games,” he said in a statement today.
Mohamad Norza said the postponement of the 2020 Malaysia Games (Sukma), which was one of the platforms to select young athletes to the SEA Games, due to the Covid-19 pandemic was a big blow to young athletes.
“The deprivation of tournaments is not only difficult for the athletes and coaches, but have also created challenges for NSAs and OCM in terms of athlete selection and assessing their readiness and competitiveness nationally and regionally.
“Further, the Vietnam Organising Committee has taken a very conservative approach to this upcoming SEA Games due to the uncertainty caused by Covid-19. Taking into consideration the above, the OCM Selection Committee will be meeting each NSA between now and March 15 to determine the right mix of athletes for each sport,” he added.
Although the category A and B criteria will be maintained, Mohamad Norza said the committee reserves the right to include athletes into the team even if the criteria are not met, should a young athlete demonstrate strong future potential as part of the push towards the emphasis on junior development.
According to the qualification criteria prior to this, athletes’ current performance has to surpass the bronze medal mark of the previous SEA Games for them to be sent under category A, where they will be fully funded by OCM, while category B athletes will be borne by the respective NSAs, but will be refunded if they win any medal.
Vietnam has listed 40 sports for the 31st edition of the biennial Games, compared to 56 sports hosted in the previous edition in the Philippines.
— Bernama
