Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh having a light moment with the RTG athletes. - Bernama
PUTRAJAYA: Thirteen athletes have committed to the Road to Gold (RTG) programme, Malaysia’s elite initiative aimed at delivering the nation’s first-ever Olympic gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Leading the line-up are eight shuttlers led by two-time Olympic bronze medallists Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik.
Also named are women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, mixed doubles duo Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, and men’s doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, who are making their debut in the programme.
The remaining five athletes are weightlifter Mohd Aniq Kasdan, track cyclists Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom and Nurul Izzah Izzati Asri, and squash player S. Sivasangari.
Meanwhile top male squash player Ng Eain Yow has been placed in the fast-track list alongside three women archers – Ariana Nur Dania, Syaqiera Mashayikh and Nurul Azreena Fazil.
World No. 1 men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and mixed pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, who compete independently, have yet to confirm their participation.
Men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia is the only athlete to decline the offer, citing personal reasons.
All confirmed athletes signed their RTG contracts in Putrajaya on Tuesday (June 10), witnessed by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who also chairs the RTG committee.
“I hope that with all the additional support provided, it will help raise their performance and, at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, bring Malaysia closer to winning its first Olympic gold medal,” said Hannah.
“I also hope all the athletes will remain in the RTG programme and continue to improve. Currently, their KPI (key perfomance index) is to be in the top 10, but in the coming years, we want to see that progress to the top eight, and eventually the top four,” she said during a press conference.
All 13 athletes in the programme will not only receive a monthly allowance but, more importantly, will also benefit from comprehensive support services aimed at boosting their performance as they gear up to become serious medal contenders at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
