HANGZHOU – The Malaysian contingent to the Asian Games is confident they can achieve the target of 27 medals, with eight days of competition remaining before the closing ceremony on October 8.
The confidence was expressed by chief de mission (CDM) Datuk Chong Kim Fatt, after witnessing the fighting spirit of the Malaysian athletes, who have won 18 medals thus far.
He hopes that the determination and excellence of Malaysians displayed in several sports, such as cycling, squash and sailing since the games began on September 23, can boost the spirit of other athletes.
“(Almost) all the sports we participate in after this, (we) have the opportunity to contribute medals. Some new events about to start and some are just about to enter the medal stage.
“Behind the target, the grit displayed by the athletes is also indeed commendable. Friends from other countries have also complimented the great dedication of our athletes, for example the cyclists who continue to race despite being injured,” he said when met at the Hangzhou Olympic Games Center Squash Court, today.
Malaysia will continue the medal hunt in singles and doubles events for squash and badminton, in addition to archery, karate, hockey, sports, athletics, sepak takraw, equestrian and diving.
As of 2.30 this afternoon, Malaysia is ranked 13th in the medal tally table after winning three golds, three silvers and 12 bronzes.
Sailor Nur Shazrin Mohamad Latif won the first gold through the women’s ILCA 6 event, while two more golds were delivered by Mohd Qabil Ambak Mahamad Fathil in individual equestrian dressage and the women’s squash team comprising Aifa Azman, Rachel Arnold, S. Sivasangari and Aira Azman.
Besides the games, Kim Fatt hopes the allocation for the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) will be increased in the 2024 Budget, which will be tabled on October 13.
“Five years since the previous Asian Games, we thought the performance of other countries’ sports would decline after the Covid-19 pandemic, but it has in fact improved with many countries pouring in more money on high-performance sports.
“Based on my 20 years of involvement in sports, KBS will often be in the bottom five in terms of budget allocation. This time we hope for an improvement for sports and youth, it is an investment for the future, the results of which can only be seen in the long term… Maybe 5-10 years to come,” he added. – October 1, 2023