We’re back!: The Malaysian contingent posing with Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh after returning from Hangzhou. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: The move not to announce a gold medal target has worked, with Malaysia getting six gold medals, eight silvers and 18 bronzes for a total of 32 medals to be placed 14th at the Asiad.
Although it was slightly lower than Malaysia’s achievement at the Jakarta Games in 2018 (7-13-16), Youth and Sports minister Hannah Yeoh felt Malaysian athletes had performed above expectations in Hangzhou.
The new approach, suggested by Nippon Sports Science University (NSSU), to focus on medal target rather than the gold target, has brought success although it was criticised at first, said Hannah.
Hannah congratulated the athletes for the courage and determination they had showed in China.
“I salute all the athletes who fought valiantly – there were fractured bones and eye injuries – to win medals for the nation.
Malaysia had announced 27 medals as their target for Hangzhou and surpassed it by winning 32.
“Any new method is bound to create dissatisfaction but we are not afraid of changes if these can be beneficial to the athletes.
“If the targets are too high, we may be criticised as being unrealistic. If the target is low, we are said to be incapable and if we don’t set a target, we are deemed as lacking confidence.”
NSSU experts will now be invited to Malaysia to study every result achieved by the athletes in Hangzhou. The findings will become the basis of preparations for next Games in Japan.
Hannah also said that a matching grant of RM1mil offered to the Malaysian Karate Federation (Makaf) to organise the Asian Karate Championships in Melaka in July has brought results.
“The matching grant not only reduced Makaf’s burden in organising the tournament but also improved the performance of the national exponents.
“The kata team won a bronze while Lovelly (Anne Robberth) finished seventh in Melaka but both got silvers in Hangzhou.
“Arif (Afifuddin) won bronze in the men’s below 87kg in Melaka but he went on to win gold in Hangzhou.”
Malaysia, who won four bronze medals in Melaka, improved tremendously and secured one gold and two silvers in Hangzhou despite facing world class karate exponents.
Makaf president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad also thanked the ministry’s matching grant, saying it helped in delivering Malaysia’s first gold medal since Incheon 2014.
“We used half of the grant to organise the event and the other half for the preparation of our athletes,” said Azmi.
Meanwhile, Hannah said it was too early to announce changes to the Road to Gold programme. A review will be done during a meeting soon.
