KUALA LUMPUR – Most sports fans who closely follow Malaysian sports development would have already heard of the country’s exclusive Olympic programme, Road to Gold (RTG).
RTG was launched in March last year by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh as a top-up initiative to the existing Podium Programme, aimed at boosting the potential of Malaysia’s elite athletes in their quest for the elusive Olympic gold medal.
While it was clearly outlined that the RTG programme is for two Olympic cycles – Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 – Malaysians understandably hope to see immediate results.
With the Malaysian badminton team out of contention for gold in Paris, hopes for the top prize now rest on the shoulders of veteran cyclist Datuk Azizulhasni Awang, who will compete in the track events on August 7.
The question now is: will the RTG programme be deemed a failure if the Malaysian contingent returns from France without the gold?
Three-time Olympian and former Malaysian national hockey captain, Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi, begs to differ.
Mirnawan, a member of the RTG committee alongside three-time Olympic silver medallist Datuk Lee Chong Wei and eight-time world squash champion Datuk Nicol David, believes the programme has already shown progress.
“Even if we don’t win gold in Paris, this programme (RTG) is for the future, LA 2028 and beyond.
“The RTG programme is very specific and detailed. The objective is to assist and prepare our athletes to be at their best when competing at the Olympics.
“This is to complement the existing Podium Programme, but specifically for our national athletes who are the cream of the crop.
“So, whatever happens in Paris, let it happen. If we win gold, great, but if we don’t, it’s not the end of the world.
“We saw how they performed in Paris; they gave their all in the arena, and we could feel the disappointment they felt when they lost. None of them are there on vacation or a holiday,” Mirnawan told Scoop.
Commenting further, the former national hockey team manager challenged Malaysian athletes who are not yet part of RTG to improve their performance so they can be considered for the programme.
“I want to challenge the athletes to push themselves and improve their performance to be part of the RTG programme.
“This is not something we want to talk about only at the committee level; we want to ensure our athletes are at the highest level of performance when they compete in future Olympics,” added Mirnawan.
Mirnawan, an ambassador for the chocolate malt beverage Milo, spoke to Scoop recently following the launch of the Milo Kem Juara grassroots development programme. – August 5, 2024