Malaysian contingent led by CDM Nurul out to make noise in ‘quietest’ SEA Games

FORMER international swimmer Nurul Huda Abdullah is not an ordinary chef de mission for the Malaysian SEA Games contingent.

The 53-year-old has walked the talk like few others ever have.

She remains the country’s biggest gold medal contributor in SEA Games history, with an astonishing haul of 22 gold medals - a record that has stood untouched for decades.

The names that trail behind her include diver Datuk Leong Mun Yee (17), swimmer Daniel Bego (11), shuttler Rosalind Singha Ang (10) and diver Yeoh Ken Nee (10). 

And when someone with that pedigree leads the contingent, inspiration should not be in short supply.

The SEA Games will officially open tomorrow at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok although some events have quietly begun since Dec 3.

The usual questions swirl in the air. Will there be multiple gold medal winners from our country? Will there be new stars? Will records be broken? Will Malaysia achieve their best results outside of the country in the regional Games? 

Yet, for all her successes, Nurul has chosen not to burden the 1,141 athletes with gold medal target.

After consultations with Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, National Sports Council, National Sports Associations, she announced instead a more diplomatic aspiration - 200 total medals, without specifying the colours.

Shouldn’t Nurul, who was the golden girl at the pool, motivate the others to go for the skies too? 

But while the leadership has opted for a cautious stance, several sports bodies have shown no such hesitation.

Badminton, for instance, are eyeing four gold medals, eager for redemption after returning home without a title at the last edition in Cambodia. 

Squash and gymnastics want two each while athletics are looking at five despite losing 400m defending champion Shereen Samson Vallabouy to hamstring injury a few days ago.

Swimming and diving collectively expect five.

Other medal-rich battlegrounds include bowling, cycling, equestrian, basketball, karate, silat, sailing and shooting. 

Will these ambitions be enough to replicate Malaysia’s finest overseas outing – the second-place finish in 2007, also in Thailand?

Vietnam however could spoil the party. They are eyeing 90-110 gold medals while Indonesia are hoping to sweep 80-85. 

Singapore are looking at 20 golds alone at the pool while the Philippines are determined to go better than their 58 gold won at the last Games. 

Hosts Thailand have unabashedly declared a target of 241 gold medals in their bid to become the overall champions again although this 33rd edition has been far from smooth.

The home fans have called the Games as one of the “quietest” ever. 

They claimed that the atmosphere lacks buzz and they blamed it on weak promotions. 

The flooding in the southern regions has also prompted the relocation of 10 sports from Songkhla to Bangkok and Chonburi for safety reasons.

There have also been delays at several venues, including swimming.

And there have been internal problems too with Thai badminton star Pornpawee Chochuwong initially withdrawing from the Games due to delayed payments before she was persuaded to return.

Cambodia’s unexpected withdrawal from 10 sports – reducing the number of their contingent from 500 to 100, citing safety reasons due to border clashes with Thailand, had also sent ripple effects.

The hosts had to reschedule events and there has been more delays.

Still, the hosts insist they will stage a memorable 12 days of competition.

And Malaysia, led by long jumper Andre Anura Anuar and waterski darling Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah as flagbearers, will hope to ride the wave of opportunity despite the turbulence around them.

As the curtains rise, the question lingers.

Will this be the Games that produce a splashing end to the year - one worthy not only of making Nurul smile, but also lifting the spirits of the entire nation back home?