KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- The latest target of 60 gold medals set by Malaysian Chef-de-Mission Datuk Naim Mohamad for the national SEA Games contingent in Indonesia on Friday is achievable if the national athletes could reach the final of several events before the conclusion of the biennial games.
Former director-general of the National Sports Council (NSC) Datuk Wira Mazlan Ahmad said the team managers for several events vying for a berth in the finals must ensure that their athletes gave their best performance so that they could raise the number of gold medals won by the national contingent.
"To me, the team managers know better about the current form of their athletes. In fact, with determination, I believe they can win even more gold medals," he said when contacted by Bernama.
The national contingent has already collected 50 gold medals so far at the SEA Games which will end on Tuesday.
Among the events which are expected to contribute to the national target of 60 gold medals are football, wushu, rhythmic swimming and bowling.
Mazlan said the target of 40-45 gold medals set by the NSC earlier was too low compared to the capability of the national athletes who sprang a few surprises in several events to enable them to breach the target.
"I have more confidence in the 50-55 gold medal target set by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) which is more reasonable because the national athletes showed a strong fighting spirit when competing in the SEA Games this time around," he said.
Former Sports Commissioner Tan Sri Elyas Omar said he was happy with the achievement of the national athletes who put up an excellent performance at the SEA Games, and he was confident they could achieve the new target.
"I have no doubt about the capability of our athletes because the sporting spirit demonstrated by them this time deserves praise," he said.
Elyas, who was also a former president of the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF), advised the national athletes to suppress their emotion when competing in the final events so that the opportunity of grabbing the gold medals would not go to waste.
Meanwhile, academician Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim believed that the national athletes should not lay too much focus on increasing the number of gold medals collected in the SEA Games but should instead focus of the more prestigious meet such as the Asian Games and the Olympics.
"Why should we focus on increasing the gold medal tally at the SEA Games when some of our athletes are now of world class?
"The time has come for us to focus more on the two sports meets which will be participated by world famous athletes," he said.
Former director-general of the National Sports Council (NSC) Datuk Wira Mazlan Ahmad said the team managers for several events vying for a berth in the finals must ensure that their athletes gave their best performance so that they could raise the number of gold medals won by the national contingent.
"To me, the team managers know better about the current form of their athletes. In fact, with determination, I believe they can win even more gold medals," he said when contacted by Bernama.
The national contingent has already collected 50 gold medals so far at the SEA Games which will end on Tuesday.
Among the events which are expected to contribute to the national target of 60 gold medals are football, wushu, rhythmic swimming and bowling.
Mazlan said the target of 40-45 gold medals set by the NSC earlier was too low compared to the capability of the national athletes who sprang a few surprises in several events to enable them to breach the target.
"I have more confidence in the 50-55 gold medal target set by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) which is more reasonable because the national athletes showed a strong fighting spirit when competing in the SEA Games this time around," he said.
Former Sports Commissioner Tan Sri Elyas Omar said he was happy with the achievement of the national athletes who put up an excellent performance at the SEA Games, and he was confident they could achieve the new target.
"I have no doubt about the capability of our athletes because the sporting spirit demonstrated by them this time deserves praise," he said.
Elyas, who was also a former president of the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF), advised the national athletes to suppress their emotion when competing in the final events so that the opportunity of grabbing the gold medals would not go to waste.
Meanwhile, academician Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim believed that the national athletes should not lay too much focus on increasing the number of gold medals collected in the SEA Games but should instead focus of the more prestigious meet such as the Asian Games and the Olympics.
"Why should we focus on increasing the gold medal tally at the SEA Games when some of our athletes are now of world class?
"The time has come for us to focus more on the two sports meets which will be participated by world famous athletes," he said.
-- BERNAMA
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