SEA Games medal target to be decided in April: chef de mission

KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian contingent’s medal target for the upcoming 2023 Cambodia SEA Games will be decided in April, said chef de mission Datuk Mohd Nasir Ali. 

Nasir said a medal target workshop will be held in April where all national sports associations will present their respective prospective sports medals, adding that the medal target will be announced by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh. 

At the same time, Nasir reminded associations to submit the list of athletes by March 5, saying that a few associations have yet to send in the list of athlete names.

“We want to make sure the athletes are technically and mentally prepared. 

“In the two months until the games, associations need to make sure that the athletes are ready and capable to perform, with the right tactics. 

“Two months will pass by very fast, I hope the outcome is positive,” he said at Wisma Olympic Council of Malaysia today. 

Scheduled to take place from May 5 to 17, the SEA Games will be held during the hottest month of the year in the region, with the temperature estimated to be around 42°C with dusty conditions. 

“This will affect the performance of athletes that are not used to the heat, especially the younger ones. 

“But I am confident that the National Sports Council and National Sports Institute (NSI) have been monitoring our athletes every day and are happy with their preparations and performance,” he said. 

With a large number of representatives this year expected to be from the backup squad, Nasir said Tenpin Bowling legend Datuk Shalin Zulkifli and former national squash player Sharon Wee’s appointment as deputy chefs de mission would benefit the rookies. 

Shalin said the athletes’ youth does not mean they cannot exceed expectations in Cambodia. 

“I was only 13 when I won my first two gold medals at the 1994 SEA Games in Singapore. Nothing is impossible. 

“Our goal is to prepare the athletes for the next two SEA Games. They might not be able to give their best performance now, but they will be ready for the next SEA Games in 2027 in Kuala Lumpur,” she said. 

Meanwhile, Nasir said the NSI is wary of the bird flu cases ongoing in Cambodia, and also advised the contingent heading there in May to be cautious as well. 

As of now, 594 athletes and 204 officials have been listed by the associations to be entered into Categories A and B.

At the Hanoi SEA Games last year, Malaysia finished sixth overall with 39 gold, 45 silver, and 90 bronze medals. – The Vibes, February 28, 2023.