Our golden hopes

The golden era: Rabuan (left) was at one point Asia’s fastest man, after winning the 100m gold medal at the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games, a good 16 years after Dr Mani brought back the first gold in the same event. He was inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004.

THE 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games are about 15 months away and Malaysians, like the rest of the world, are eagerly waiting to see top athletes from 196 countries and territories spread across seven continents gather for the greatest sports showpiece on earth.

But what is there in store for Malaysia at the Olympics? Critics say we have nothing to dream about in terms of gold medals. Perhaps a silver or bronze would be an absolute miracle. If that does happen, could it be interpreted as a “gift from God”?.