PETALING JAYA: Former national hockey player Jivan Mohan is ready to embrace a new chapter in his sporting journey after being named as deputy chef de mission (CDM) for the SEA Games in Thailand from Dec 9-20.
Jivan is excited to play his part for the national contingent and described it as an honour and a challenge.
"I’m honoured to be selected. It’s a big responsibility that I’m ready to take on,” said Jivan.
"It’s a new experience for me and I’ll do whatever I can to support the athletes in achieving their targets."
Jivan is no stranger to SEA Games glory, clinching the gold medal twice, once with the Speedy Tigers at the 2013 edition in Myanmar and the other as an assistant coach at the 2015 Singapore SEA Games under head coach A. Arulselvaraj.
With over 150 caps for the national team during his career, Jivan was named one of three deputy CDMs for the Games, alongside former sprint ace Nazmizam Muhammad and Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh.
Former national swimming queen Nurul Huda Abdullah has been appointed as CDM.
Jivan believes the involvement of former athletes like himself will add a unique layer of understanding and empathy to the support system behind the national contingent.
"As ex-athletes, we’ve gone through the highs and lows of competition. We know how it feels to carry the expectations of a country and what it takes to win," said Jivan.
"Many things may have changed nowadays compared to how it was when I competed, but the core, passion, pressure, and teamwork remain the same.
"It’s a good move by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) to select former athletes to lead the contingent," said Jivan, who is the current Royal Malaysian Police Hockey Association vice-president.
Although his sporting roots are firmly planted in hockey, Jivan is eager to share his knowledge with athletes from other sports.
Around 700 athletes from 48 sports are expected to represent Malaysia in Thailand later this year.
