KUALA LUMPUR: Three team sports – the men’s rugby Sevens and both the men and women’s hockey teams – have qualified for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow from July 23-Aug 3.
Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) secretary general Datuk Sieh Kok Chi confirmed that Malaysia have qualified for three of the four team sports for the Games.
“Only our netball team have yet to qualify for the Games,” said Kok Chi.
Ten countries will feature in the men and women’s hockey competitions. They are Australia, Canada, England, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales and hosts Scotland.
The Malaysian men’s hockey team have done well in previous Games, winning the silver in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur and the bronze in 2006 in Melbourne.
A total of 17 nations will vie for the rugby Sevens gold. Besides Malaysia, the others are Australia, Canada, England, Fiji, Kenya, New Zealand, Namibia, Ireland, Samoa, Scotland, Wales, Hong Kong, South Africa, Singapore, Tonga and Zimbabwe.
Malaysia last featured in rugby Sevens in the 1998 Games.
A total of 17 sports will be contested in Glasgow. They are aquatics (diving, swimming and waterpolo), athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, judo, lawn bowls, netball, rugby Sevens, shooting, squash, table tennis, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling.
As for individual sports, Kok Chi said the Malaysian athletes have to beat the sixth placing mark of the 2010 Games in New Delhi to earn the right to compete in Glasgow.
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