More is better
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin wants the national contingent to win more than six gold medals for the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, from April 4-15. In the 2014 edition in Glasgow, Scotland, the national contingent brought home
PUTRAJAYA: Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin wants the national contingent for the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, to garner more than the six golds achieved four years ago.
“The target under the Podium Programme is to achieve the top 10 position in overall medal tally at the Games from April 4 to 15.
“This means the target for gold medals must exceed that of Glasgow, Scotland, in 2014,” he said during the handing over the national flag to the contingent here yesterday.
In the 2014 edition, the national contingent brought home six gold, seven silver and six bronze medals.
Malaysia are sending a 178-member contingent comprising 102 men and 76 women athletes with 95 officials to Gold Coast.
Khairy said the medal target is based solely on our able-bodied athletes although the medal standings for this Games will also take para-athletes into account as well.
He stressed that winning medals is not everything but being consistent and going all out is what is required of the athletes.
“Maybe because of the SEA Games success last year, the general perception is that there has not been much emphasis on this year’s Commonwealth Games.”
“This is inaccurate because the Commonwealth Games has always been one of the top priority for us, more so than the SEA Games.
“Alongside the Asian Games and the Olympics, the success at the Commonwealth Games is actually the sporting benchmark for the country,” Khairy said.
He said he wanted every athlete to give it everything they have got in their respective sport, whether it is to win a medal or to break national records.
“I believe nothing is impossible and the medals will certainly come if the athletes give it their best.
“I do hope we will rise to the occasion at the Games and I have full confidence in chef-de-mission Huang (Ying How) in leading the Malaysian contingent,” said Khairy.
Malaysia’s best showing in terms of gold medals at the Games was at the 2010 New Delhi edition where they finished with a 12-1014 haul.
At the 2014 Glasgow Games, it was a much reduced 6-7-6 haul with the golds coming from Mohd Hafifi Mansor (weightlifting), Nicol David (squash), Ooi Tze Liang (diving), Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei (badminton – women’s doubles), Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong (badminton – men’s doubles) and the mixed team gold in badminton.
Badminton is once again expected to deliver the lion’s share of the gold medals with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) having set a three-gold target while the other gold medals are expected to come from squash, diving, cycling and lawn bowls.