KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 — The National Sports Council (NSC) expects between 25 to 30 athletes to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, scheduled from July 26 to August 11, just as with previous editions.
Its director-general Abdul Rashid Yaakub said the expected figure could increase to more than 50 if the national men’s hockey team qualifies for the biggest multi-sport event in the world after a 24-year hiatus.
The entire nation’s hope will be to see a Malaysian athlete standing on the podium with a gold medal around his or her neck, thus ending a six-decade-long wait to see the country win its first-ever gold medal in the Olympics.
The country’s gold medal hopes will certainly hinge on sports like badminton, track cycling, and diving.
“The prospect of winning a medal is certainly there, not only in the Olympics but in any major competition. To achieve that goal, athletes must believe in themselves, prepare well and be equipped with all the necessary preparations; the opportunity will be there upon reaching the competition venue.
“They must be able to produce their best performance during the games, at least a new National record, a new personal best, and that might be good for a medal.
“Though we are still depending on cycling, badminton, and diving for medals, precision sports like shooting and archery can also produce a surprise or two. If possible, win the first gold medal in Paris this year,” he said today.
Abdul Rashid, who was appointed as the NSC director-general in early November to replace the now-retired Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail, said the NSC will provide all the support needed, including sports science, coaching, consultation, and counselling to athletes who have qualified on merit and those who have the potential to qualify under the Podium Programme and Road to Gold (RTG).
Meanwhile, Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) secretary-general Datuk Mohd Nazifuddin Najib believes the financial aspect would not be an issue in supporting the national contingent’s pursuit of a gold medal in the Olympics.
This is because Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced a special allocation of RM20 million for the RTG during the 2024 Budget.
“We know that RTG received a special budget, and it can be channelled to the national contingent regarding support services to a maximum level. It will, therefore, depend on the athletes to go out there in pursuit of a gold medal.
“With only a few months remaining for the games, the main focus is on preparations and the final phase of training. There are sports that wish to leave early to adjust to the climate and conditions there,” he said.
So far, Nur Shazrin Latif (women’s sailing), Johnathan Wong (men’s shooting), Bertrand Rhodict Lises (men’s diving), Ariana Nur Dania Zairi (women’s archery), and Nur Aisyah Mohd Zubir (women’s road cycling), have qualified for Paris 2024 on merit.
The hockey squad’s final chance of qualifying for Paris since the 2000 Sydney Olympics will be answered when the Speedy Tigers travel to Muscat, Oman, for the Qualifiers scheduled from January 15 to January 21, while other sports like track cycling, badminton, and diving have until April or May depending on the sport.
During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Malaysia, represented by 30 athletes, came home with a silver from track cyclist Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang (men’s keirin) and a bronze from Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik from the men’s doubles (badminton).
— Bernama
