AS we head into the year 2020, the Tokyo Olympics (July 24-Aug 9) will be the biggest focus of the sporting world. And Malaysian fans don’t need vision 20/20 to know where our medal hopes lie.
For Malaysia, it will be the same narrative — the country is still hunting its first ever Olympic gold since 1964.
And this time, there is much pessimism as Malayia do not envision doing better than the 2016 Rio Olympics haul of four silver and one bronze.
Lee Chong Wei was Malaysia’s brightest Olympic prospect in the last three editions (2008, 2012 and 2016) and he performed remarkably to win a hat-trick of silver. But the former World No 1 won’t be making the trip this time following his retirement due to nasal cancer.
In Chong Wei’s absence, Malaysia’s Olympic hope will now orbit around the Pocket Rocketman — cyclist Azizulhasni Awang.
Azizul has proved he is among the world’s best by winning a bronze in the keirin at the 2016 Olympics.
And the 33-year-old 2017 world champion looks capable of duelling with Dutchman Mathijs Buchli, Japan’s Yudai Nitta (UCI World No 1) and Australia’s Matthew Glaetzer for the gold.
Azizul, ranked World No 2, showed he is now in good form, having won the UCI World Cup leg in Cambridge, New Zealand last month.
Expect Azizul to give his all in the battle of his life to achieve something no other Malaysians have been able to do - win an Olympic gold.
While the Pocket Rocketman is set on a clear course, things are murky at the pool for Malaysian divers.
The Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (Asum) have found themselves having to tread carefully over Cheong Jun Hoong, the 2017 world champion.
The role that Jun Hoong can play, although she is not Asum’s preferred choice, will be crucial to Malaysia’s plan to win Olympic gold in the women’s 10m platform synchro.
However, the outspoken Jun Hoong has at times been at odds with Asum for supporting former coach Yang Zhuliang. After winning the 10m individual world title in 2017, she was affected by injuries.
This led to Jun Hoong’s partner Pandelela Rinong, who won silver with the former at the 2016 Olympics, being paired with veteran Leong Mun Yee.
And the new pairing of Pandelela-Mun Yee have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics after clinching silver at the World Championships in Gawanju, South Korea last year.
However, Jun Hoong has one last chance to qualify for the 2020 Olympics, via the 10m platform individual at the World Cup in Tokyo in April. With her quality and experience, it would not be a problem for Jun Hoong to do so.
However, it remains to be seen if Asum will put their differences with Jun Hoong aside and reunite her with Pandelela for a genuine shot at Olympic glory.
The country should come first and Pandelela, whose relationship with Jun Hoong is said to have soured in recent times, must be prepared to team up with her former partner again if Jun Hoong qualifies for the Olympics. Malaysia are allowed to choose their pair for Tokyo as Olympic qualification is counted as a country slot for synchronised events.
Two other divers, Wendy Ng and Nur Dhabitah Sabri, who have qualified for the 3m individual springboard, are capable of springing a medal surprise.
The badminton team will not be as ambitious as before. The shuttlers were the most prolific from the Malaysian contingent to the 2016 Olympics, winning three silver. But this time there is fear they will return empty-handed from Tokyo following poor results on the international front in the past two years.
That is unless men’s doubles Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong prove the critics wrong.
The Olympic qualifying period will end on April 30, and it looks like only Aaron-Wooi Yik, ranked World 8, and V Shem-Wee Kiong, ranked World No 10, will make the cut.
Based on the current form of their rivals, the two Malaysian pairs are in no position to win gold. Indonesian World No 1 Markus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sajaya Sukamuljo and World No 2 Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan look unstoppable.
Malaysia would have had a fighting chance in the mixed doubles if Chan Peng Soon, who won silver in Rio 2016 with Goh Liu Ying, has not suffered facial paralysis recently.
Although Peng Soon and Liu Ying should qualify for Tokyo by virtue of their World No 6 ranking with World No 8 Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai, winning an Olympic medal seems daunting.
Malaysia are also expected to have at least one representation in the other badminton events through Lee Zii Jia (men’s singles), Soniia Cheah (women’s singles) and Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean (women’s doubles). But they may just make up the numbers.
Zii Jia may have won the men’s singles gold at the recent Philippines Sea Games but he needs to have the mental strength and character to go far in the Olympics.
As for the other Malaysian athletes, qualifying for the Greatest Show on Earth itself would be an achievement, and they should give the performance of their lives in Tokyo.
Farah Ann Abdul Hadi became only the third Malaysian gymnast to qualify for the Olympics after Au Li Yen (2000) and Ng Shu Wai (2004) but for her to reach the final in the individual all around event would be beyond her.
Archer Khairul Anuar Mohamad qualified for the individual event by reaching the quarter-finals at the World Championships in Hertogenbosch, Netherlands last year. To be in contention for an Olympic medal, he needs to aim for a place in the last four in Tokyo.
Sailors Khairulnizan Afendy (men’s laser), Nur Shazrin Latif (women’s laser) and Nuraisyah Jamil-Juni Noor Jamali (women’s 420) are going to Tokyo because they have qualified. They will hope to make some waves.
Though the attention will be on Azizul’s golden pursuit, the rest of the Malaysian contingent should produce world-class performances in Tokyo. After all, it’s the quadrennial Olympics, and not some annual international competition.
It’s a heartbreaking sayonara for the national men’s hockey team after missing a golden opportunity to qualify for the Olympics following their frustrating loss to Japan in the Asian Games final last year.
As the national team stay home and miss the Olympic party, the Malaysia Hockey Confederation are left to do soul-searching and look at ways to revive the sport.
In football, the national team will enter a year of great expectations, having done creditably in the World Cup qualifiers.
Currently second in Group G of the pre-World Cup/Asian Cup. Harimau Malaya will continue their bid to advance to the third round.
Tan Cheng Hoe’s men have three more matches to play with their last group match against Thailand on June 9.
If Malaysia finish top of the group or emerge as one of the four best second-placed teams, they will qualify for the 2023 Asian Cup in China.
Following the national Under-23 football team’s dismal outing in the recent Sea Games, Malaysia will hope to redeem themselves in the AFF Cup on Nov 21-Dec 27.
Malaysian bowlers’ two-gold haul in the Sea Games is mediocre by their high standards but they can show their class at the Asian Championships in Hong Kong on July 4-14.