PETALING JAYA: Athletes named for the Road to Gold programme has until May to decide whether they want in or out.
The Road to Gold (RTG) chairman Hannah Yeoh has clarified that the 16 athletes chosen are not obligated to join the national elite sports programme, which is aimed to secure Malaysia’s first Olympic gold medal.
Hannah, who is also the Youth and Sports Minister, highlighted that each athlete was free to make their own choice.
They have until May, before the next RTG Committee meeting, to finalise the list of athletes who will commit to the program by signing contracts.
Athletes who agree to be part of the RTG programme will not only receive additional allowances but will also be given full access to facilities and support needed to help them achieve the goal of winning Malaysia’s first Olympic gold medal in 2028 Los Angeles.
“In the next two weeks, the programme coordinator (Datuk Stuart Ramalingam) and secretariat will be talking to every athlete and asking them about their commitment to the programme,” said Hannah.
“There will be a contract that they need to sign.
“We can offer the athletes a place in the programme, but if they don’t want to take it up, then you can’t force them. And that has happened before. So, that’s the reason why.
“Now, after the last post-mortem, we have already identified some key areas where improvement is needed,” added Hannah.
Previously, the RTG programme had extended the same offer to professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics, but he opted out.
Even so, the Youth and Sports Ministry still provided support amounting to RM300,000, which was shared among three other professional athletes, including women’s singles shuttler Goh Jin Wei and golfers Ashley Lau and Gavin Kyle Green.
Zii Jia has now been included in the new RTG batch, as he currently meets the qualification criteria, which includes winning a bronze medal in Paris and being ranked eighth in the world.
Apart from Zii Jia, others listed in the latest RTG batch include badminton players Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Woon. Also named were track cyclists Shah Firdaus Sahrom and Izzah Izzati Asri, as well as weightlifter Aniq Kasdan.
Meanwhile, five athletes have been included in the RTG fast track programme. They are squash players Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari, and archers Ariana Nur Dania, Syaqiera Mashayikh, and Nurul Azreena Fazil.
