MELAKA – Malaysian athletes’ achievement at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games will be an important indicator for their preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics, said Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim.
He said this is based on the Asiad’s higher level of competition, its status as the biggest sporting event in the Asian continent and the presence of athletes from major countries that have won medals at the Olympics, such as China.
“The Asiad is a more open and wide platform for athletes to gain experience and face competitive challenges that will help them in their preparation for the Olympic Games.
“Most of the athletes at the Asian Games are also the same ones who will compete at the Olympics. So, this is the place where we can gauge our standards and improve our performance or work on rectifying existing weaknesses,” he told reporters here today.
He said this after officiating a programme to meet the community of the Hang Tuah Jaya parliamentary constituency over the Social Security Organisation’s Housewives’ Social Security Scheme in Ayer Keroh today.
Adam Adli also expressed confidence that the national contingent can achieve the 27-medal target at the Asian Games despite several hiccups, including the absence of national track cycling champion Datuk Azizulhasni Awang, who had to withdraw due to injury.
Malaysia have sent a total of 288 athletes to compete in 20 out of the 40 sports contested at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, which officially began yesterday. – September 24, 2023