Category A athletes’ listing open until June 22

KUALA LUMPUR: National sports associations still have the opportunity to list their respective category B athletes to fill category A slots to the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia until June 22.

Olympic Council of Malaysia (MOM) president Datuk Seri Mohamad Norza Zakaria said sports associations had to send in appeals and the names of their respective category B athletes to be considered for category A before the full list was handed over to the organisers on June 30.

He said so far the number of athletes for category A was 195 while category B was 242.

“When we embark on our latest selection process, we have internal meetings with the National Sports Council (MSN) and they (MSN) have not received any indication on the actual allocation of athletes for the Asian Games.

“With that, we have embarked on the conservative top four (conditions to be a category A athlete), nevertheless, we are still engaging with MSN and I insist that the sports associations send in their appeals. It is because there are a few athletes, basically on the borderline, whom we will consider for A category,” he told reporters after chairing an Asian Games Selection meeting at Wisma OCM yesterday.

A category A athlete would be given full sponsorship while the cost of category B athletes should be borne by their respective associations.

However, the category B athletes’ expenses would be reimbursed if they succeeded in winning at least bronze medals.

Mohamad Norza said OCM and MSN would discuss the allocation involving more athletes from category B to be listed in category A.

Local media today reported that OCM had tightened the criteria for selecting athletes to the Asian Games in category A, namely, the athletes had to rank in the top four compared to six previously but due to the large number of athletes in the contingent, OCM was ready to consider increasing the number of athletes for category A.

Mohamad Norza also announced two deputy chef-de-mission to the Asian Games, one of them being Dr P. Vellapandian, the Podium Programme chairman, who will be stationed in Jakarta.

The other, Medical and Anti-Doping Committee chairman Datuk Dr S.S. Cheema, will be stationed in Palembang. - Bernama