Selangor Journal
President of Olympic Council of Malaysia Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria. — Picture via FACEBOOK

SEA Games: Sports associations given till June to assess athletes

KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — The SEA Games Selection Committee wants national sports associations (NSA) to test the benchmark and the level of their athletes before shortlisting them for the biennial Games scheduled from November 21 to December 2.

Its chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria said NSAs have been given to June to hold selection competitions to choose their best athletes for the Hanoi Games, after a vast majority of national athletes were unable to compete since March last year due the Covid-19 pandemic.

After the Malaysian contingent had in 2019 decided to send young athletes for the 31st SEA Games, the postponement of 2020 Malaysian Games (Sukma) and many other competitions, had make the task to test the athletes’ capabilities difficult.

The Olympics Council of Malaysia (OCM) president said among the challenges identified throughout the two-day meeting, included training and financial constraints as well as enforced restrictions, especially for contact sports, due to the pandemic.

“We want the NSAs to select only the best athletes after testing their benchmark as many of them had no tournaments since last March. We do not want any favouritism in the process,” he said after meeting the NSAs individually to understand their plans and preparations at Wisma OCM here, today.  

The Selection Committee will be having another round of meetings with the NSAs around June and July to shortlist the name of athletes and events to participate, while the final camp and flag handing ceremony is tentatively scheduled from November 5-8.

Football will be the first squad to depart on Nov 13, followed by other athletes based on the competition dates, as many NSAs are still waiting for details from technical handbook.

Mohamad Norza said Malaysia would probably skip participating in wrestling and vovinam, while the decision on handball is expected soon during the OCM’s council meeting after the team’s humiliating outing and the Malaysian Handball Federation’s unsettled debts during the 2018 Asian Games.

In the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mohamad Norza said the NSA, especially the team managers need to organise their management and communication with the Chef-de-Mission (CDM) Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin.

Asked about the coronavirus vaccination, Mohamad Norza said the shortlisted athletes for SEA Games will be added in list of around 4,000 names submitted earlier, but priority remains for those who have and are trying to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

The inoculation is expected to be given in April and June based on priority such as contact sports which face higher risk.

Meanwhile, National Sports Council director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail said, NSAs are allowed to organise competitions, including interstate, from now, but would have to draft Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP) and seek the permission from the Youth and Sports Ministry.

 

— Bernama

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Editor Selangor Journal