Cambodia hosted the 32nd SEA Games in 2023. - Photo: Supplied
PETALING JAYA: Not having a gold medal target for the upcoming SEA Games might reduce the pressure on athletes, but it could build the wrong mindset for creating champions in the long run.
Local sports observer Mohd Sadek Mustafa said that setting medal targets is fundamental as they measure our athletes' performances against the world, and without it, it would create athletes who are unprepared for global competition.
"Sports today is a war. You either win or you lose," said Sadek, senior lecturer at the Faculty of Sports Science and Recreation at UiTM Shah Alam.
"After spending so much time and money on sports science, and then to not have a specific target isn’t good in the modern world of sports.
"It shows that we are going to war and ready to be defeated because having a goal is the main measurement in a competition."
The national contingent headed for the Thailand SEA Games from Dec 9-20 will see a record 1,688 teams, with 1,166 athletes competing in the games.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah said the approach to setting an overall medal target had been tested out during the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, which athletes liked.
The method was adopted based on the opinions of experts from the Nippon Sports Science University in Japan, through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the NSC and National Sports Institute.
However, Sadek said the methodology works for the Japanese athletes, but the same may not be as efficient for Malaysian athletes.
"The method is wrong when it comes to comparing Malaysian athletes and Japanese athletes. It’s very different.
"In many sports, we are looking at naturalisation, or heritage athletes. But the Japanese don’t have that.
"But they have a world-class football team, and they are world-class in athletics, and many more. So it’s hard to make that comparison," he said.
The National Sports Council (NSC) are expected to announce the overall medal target on Thursday (Nov 19).
At the last edition of the SEA Games in Cambodia in 2023, Malaysia brought home 34 gold, 45 silver, and 99 bronze medals.
Their best result was at the 2017 Kuala Lumpur Games when they won 145 gold, 92 silver, and 86 bronze medals.
