PETALING JAYA: Malaysia have set an ambitious target of five gold medals for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow from July 23 to Aug 2.
Interestingly, Malaysia have not only targeted five gold medals but are also aiming for two silvers and four bronzes at the Games.
The medal target was announced by chef de mission Datuk Awalan Abdul Aziz after Youth and Sports Minister Taufiq Johari presented the Jalur Gemilang to the Malaysian contingent at the National Sports Council (NSC) in Bukit Jalil on Thursday (July 16).
Awalan said the 5-2-4 target was not set arbitrarily but based on a detailed assessment of Malaysia's athletes, their opponents and medal prospects across the eight sports the country will contest in Glasgow.
"The target was derived based on facts and our analysis. We discussed it with the coaches and the athletes, and we also analysed the performances of our opponents and their current form," he said.
"Some of the analysis is quantitative, while some is more qualitative.
"For example, in lawn bowls, we looked at performances in major tournaments, including the World Championships. We also assessed where our athletes stand at world-level competitions, their world rankings and so on.
"For sports where performance can be measured quantitatively, such as weightlifting, we compare how much our opponents are lifting against what our athletes are capable of. That allows us to gauge where our rivals stand, where we rank, and what our own capabilities and medal potential are.
"Based on that fact-based analysis, we arrived at those numbers. We didn't just pluck them out of thin air."
However, Awalan did not reveal which athletes are expected to deliver Malaysia's gold medals, saying only that cycling, lawn bowls, weightlifting and powerlifting are among the sports with the potential to contribute to the medal haul.
Malaysia will field 59 athletes across eight of the 10 sports at the Games.
