Senior Athletes Lack International Exposure - Kok Chi

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 (Bernama) -- The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) will not be sending younger athletes to the Sea Games in Laos in December because even the seniors do not have enough international exposures.

OCM honorary secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi said this in response to a criticism by Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob after he objected to the National Sports Council's proposal to send younger athletes to Laos.

He said most senior athletes had not achieved the professional status and lacked opportunities to compete in events requiring them to qualify on merit like the Asian and Olympic games.

"So we are sending the senior athletes to the Sea Games and not the younger ones," he told Bernama here today.

Besides, he said, several sports like silat and water polo did not have that many competitions for the athletes to improve. "We already have the platform to identify new talents through the Malaysia Games and we will take them to go international if they are really good," he said.

Ismail had also lashed out at Sieh for failing to play his role regarding the host's decision not to include squash and tenpin bowling which could contribute medals to Malaysia to the list of Sea Games events in December.

In reply, Sieh said the OCM had held a series of discussion with the host and found out that the country did not have enough facilities for such sports since it was the first time for Laos to host the Games.

"With their limited financial capacity, 25 types of sports is fair enough for all countries to participate," he said.

He said the OCM would not force Laos to include other sports.

Nonetheless, the decision on the matter had yet to be finalised, he said.

-- BERNAMA