KUALA LUMPUR: In his New Year address, Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria outlines a strategic vision for 2026.
He emphasised that Malaysia's involvement in major multi-sport events will transcend the sole objective of medal acquisition, positioning these competitions instead as crucial benchmarks to gauge the nation's genuine competitive standing among the global elite.
Reflecting on a landmark 2025, Tan Sri Mohamad Norza extended his gratitude to athletes and officials for their contributions, acknowledging that their efforts have established a robust foundation for the demanding international schedule that lies ahead.
"Now we turn our gaze and focus on 2026, a pivotal year packed with challenges and opportunities on the global stage. Our core mission this year is two major multi-sports games: the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, in July, and the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in October.
"These are not just competitions; they are the ultimate testing grounds. We must carry the momentum from Thailand 2025 into Scotland and Japan, proving that we are contenders against the world's best," he made the remarks in a video uploaded on the official OCM account.
He also emphasised the importance of long-term athlete development, highlighting Malaysia's participation in the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, from late October to mid-November this year, which is the first event to be staged on African soil.
These initiatives, he added, are integral to a larger strategic roadmap, one that prepares the nation to host the 34th SEA Games in 2027 while steadily building the high-performance systems necessary to achieve Malaysia's first Olympic gold.
"We are building the engine that will drive us towards hosting the 34th SEA Games here in Malaysia in 2027. Furthermore, every podium finish this year brings us one step closer to our ultimate national aspiration: securing Malaysia's first-ever Olympic gold medal at the 34th Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028," he said.
He concluded by calling on the entire sporting fraternity to remain united, disciplined and focused as Malaysia continues its upward trajectory on the international sporting stage.
Meanwhile, among the notable achievements last year was Malaysia's performance at the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, where the national contingent collected 12 medals, comprising one gold, two silver and nine bronze, followed by three bronze medals at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh.
Mohamad Norza also praised the contingent's outstanding showing at the SEA Games in Thailand, where they amassed 231 medals - 57 gold, 57 silver and 117 bronze - the country's highest-ever medal haul at a SEA Games held outside Malaysia.
"This stands as our highest ever total medal haul at a SEA Games outside of Malaysia, proving that our tiger spirit roars loudly, no matter where we compete," he said. - Bernama
