KUALA LUMPUR: National squash player Ng Eain Yow and weightlifter Aznil Bidin are the new additions to the Road to Gold (RTG) programme as it transitions to become a full-time initiative this year.
There was also breathing space for track cyclist Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom as he retained his place despite dropping out of the top 20 but there was no luck for independent mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai as they found themselves sidelined due to the lack of results.
The main criteria for inclusion in RTG last year was to be ranked in the top 10 in the world rankings. This has been tightened to top eight this year.
Eain Yow, who was previously in the second-tier Fast Track programme, joins fellow squash player S. Sivasangari in RTG this year.
Aznil, a gold medallist at the last Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, now makes up one of two weightlifters in RTG alongside national teammate Aniq Kasdan.
As usual, badminton players dominate the list with 10 out of the 15 athletes in the programme being shuttlers.The RTG committee chaired by Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohd Taufiq Johari explained the inclusion of Shah Firdaus, Eain Yow and Aznil in a statement yesterday.
"Aznil meets the selection criteria as he is ranked sixth in the world.
"There are, however, other aspects evaluated in the selection of RTG athletes for 2026.
"Shah (world No. 81) underwent knee surgery last year and has since slipped out of the top eight. He, however, remains in the programme.
"As per contract, RTG also takes into consideration injuries suffered by athletes and the recovery period they require.
"Shah Firdaus has also shown positive results recently, which includes winning gold at the Indonesia Track Cup and silver at the Japan Track Cup series last week.
"As for Eain Yow (world No. 20), although he is also outside the world's top eight, based on the country ranking system, he is listed among the top eight in contention for qualification to the 2028 Olympics," said the statement.
National track cyclist Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri, now world No. 15, has been demoted to the Fast Track programme.
Archers Ariana Nur Diana Zairi, Syaqiera Mashayikh and Nurul Azreena Fazil are the three other athletes in the Fast Track programme for this year.
The statement also revealed that RTG will no longer be a "top-up" programme, as it was previously described but a full-time programme.
"Starting this year, the RTG programme will become a full-time initiative, compared to previously when it functioned as a 'top-up' programme," said the statement.
"The elements of the full programme include performance allowances, RTG allowances, coaches' salaries, competition exposure, management of dedicated training centres, development programmes, dedicated support services as well as sports science and sports medicine support."
