QUESTION: It has been 65 years since Malaysia first competed in the Olympics.
Is this the year we will finally win our first gold medal?
ANSWER: When I was appointed Sports Minister, someone said it takes one or two cycles (of four years each) to win an Olympic gold. I was told to look at 2024 Paris for an Olympic title. However, I believe we still have a chance in Tokyo. For example, Azizulhasni Awang is psyched up and challenging himself to go beyond his limits. He even told me that he was determined to bring back a gold from the Olympics. Normally, athletes will keep it to themselves when it comes to targets for a major event, but he is not that kind of person. He has been in good form with 14 podium showings in his last 20 competitions. It shows that he has been consistent since 2019.
Realistically, if we win medals, they likely come from three sports — badminton, track cycling and diving. However, I'm also hoping for athletes, especially the 13 debutants, from other sports to try their best to upset the form book. An athlete creates history when he or she competes in the Olympics. When they are given the opportunity to compete in the world's biggest games, they should go on and set a milestone for themselves.
Of course, the pinnacle of competing in the Olympics is to win a medal. However, there are also other milestones such as recording national records and personal bests and improving rankings. All these are considered milestones. For example, I told high jumper Lee Hup Wei, the World No 24, that he must try to get into the 12-athlete final in Tokyo. If he can achieve his personal best of 2.29m, he will do it.
We have to be realistic this time when we set our medal target. We need to look into the abilities of the athletes and the Covid-19 issues that affected their training programme and competition schedule. We have to evaluate all these aspects before we can issue a realistic target.
The 2016 Rio edition was a historic affair as we achieved our biggest ever Olympic haul of four silver and one bronze. thanks to badminton, cycling and diving. Five of 11 Olympic medals won by Malaysia came from Rio.
Q: What is your advice to Olympic-bound athletes?
A: I want all 30 athletes across the 10 sports to chart their own history so that they can return to Malaysia knowing they have done their utmost best. They need to fight until their last breath in their events. It will be a unique Games as fans are not allowed in venues. Even those given clearance are not allowed to cheer.
These athletes must remember that they are representing 32 million Malaysians at the Games, and all Malaysians will be supporting them throughout their events.
Demi Malaysia has been chosen as the official theme song to ignite the spirit of the national contingent and the people for the Tokyo Games. We hope this song will inspire these athletes to go the distance. It is a song to give them the added motivation and the drive to strive for excellence and do their best in Tokyo. I also hope the para-athletes who have qualified for the Paralympics will produce excellent performances in their events.
In sports, fans look at two things — results and the performances of athletes. Fans want to see our athletes show determination and spirit when they compete in Tokyo.
Success in sports brings temporary diversion from all the issues in the world. It is also a tool for unity and togetherness... a beacon of hope for Malaysia and the world to find its way out of the coronavirus pandemic. Our athletes will head there and offer hope in these trying times as countries are facing an economic crisis caused by Covid-19 worldwide. Success in the Olympics will see people uniting and forgetting about all their problems.
Q: Should Malaysian athletes be worried when they are in Tokyo?
A: When they arrive in Tokyo, I want them to remain worried. I hope they will be worried as they will be doubly or triply cautious in following all guidelines strictly when they are in Tokyo. As long as they remain worried, they will be more vigilant and take more measures to stay safe and healthy.
I'm also worried as a sports minister. If our athletes are infected or come in close contact with a Covid-19 positive individual in Tokyo, they will not be allowed to compete in their events. We have reminded the athletes to follow all the guidelines. Our part is to micro-manage these 30 athletes so that they are free from infection. We left no stone unturned when we created a training bubble in Bukit Jalil for them to train in a safe environment. From there, we created another bubble from the first bubble to ensure their safety. The athletes will go through Covid-19 tests before they leave for Japan, and I hope everyone will be healthy. It will be a great disappointment if any of them fails the tests or gets infected.
Q: How is the mental well-being of the Olympic-bound athletes?
A: With Covid-19 disruptions and challenges taking a toll on national athletes, the National Sports Institute (NSI) have been looking after their mental well-being. The NSI will continue to assist them in Tokyo.
In fact, the institute have been on this for more than a year. Most of the psychological aspect of preparation has already been done with the athletes here. Many of them live away from their families in a secure bubble for more than a year. Life is very different for them. Once athletes are in a training bubble, they cannot even meet their families. It can cause boredom. Some athletes are experiencing it already.
That is why I had proposed for athletes to meet their families before they board their flight to Tokyo. The Sports Ministry paid all the expenses to bring the families of divers Nur Dhabitah Sabri and Wendy Ng to meet them. However, it was done in a bubble. The national shuttlers will also meet their families soon. Family is important and can offer moral support to athletes ahead of a major event. Sometimes these sacrifices will make athletes hungrier to achieve success as they have already been mentally tested.
Q: Senior athletes like Azizulhasni Awang and Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying will unlikely be around for the 2024 Paris Games. Do Malaysia have quality replacements who can challenge for medals in the next edition?
A: We have many up-and-coming talents in cycling and badminton who have won medals in international events. When I was at a recent cycling event in Nilai, I was impressed to see several talented cyclists apart from Olympic-bound Azizulhasni and Shah Firdaus Sahrom. Track cyclist Fadhil Zonis is one of them who has been recording impressive results of late. In badminton, we have players like M. Thinaah and Pearly Tan who are making strides but did not qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. We have talented backup athletes in both cycling and badminton, and I foresee a promising future.
The National Sports Council will continue to work hand-in-hand with the relevant associations to unearth talented athletes through grassroots initiatives and national programmes. So, Malaysia's challenge in the next Olympics will likely be carried on by these athletes.
I'm fine-tuning initiatives to make sure other sports are not left out. We want to have nationwide programmes similar to the existing ones for football, hockey, rugby and cycling. In these challenging times, I could not assess the development of diving and other sports comprehensively. However, I have requested the Finance Ministry for funding to start nationwide programmes for sports such as diving. I also have a committee to look into the existing Podium Programme, which covers 29 sports. I want to fine-tune the programme. In Southeast Asia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam have won Olympic titles by focusing on specific sports. We need to evaluate and do extensive research on sports that can deliver medals. I am looking into it.
Q: Chef de Mission Datuk Lee Chong Wei is regarded as one of Malaysia's greatest athletes. How has he been contributing as CDM?
A: Chong Wei tried three times to win a gold medal for Malaysia but returned with silver from Beijing (2008), London (2012) and Rio (2016). I asked him recently whether he was disappointed, he answered, 'I'm not satisfied.' I then asked, 'What would satisfy you?' He replied that his dream is to see one of the 30 athletes bringing home a gold from Tokyo.
That is why he is still the CDM, although he will not be heading to Tokyo. He will only be satisfied when Malaysia win an Olympic title. It would give him satisfaction. Chong Wei wants one of the 30 athletes to break his record. For him, it will be personal glory if someone wins a gold. Former athletes who have won Olympic medals should emulate Chong Wei by motivating the current batch to strive for success in major events. Chong Wei is doing his best to motivate the athletes to go the distance in Tokyo.
Q: What are the procedures for the athletes' safe journey to Tokyo?
A: It is like handling 100 athletes, although only 30 have qualified. It is because we have detailed everything comprehensively, from their training needs to logistical issues due to Covid. Recently, I visited KLIA to observe the guidelines and protocols for athletes heading to Tokyo. They will be on different lanes during departure and arrival. I literally tried out the system and noticed that there are dedicated check-in and custom lanes for the athletes. The aero train is only for athletes, and they will have an exclusive boarding lounge. These athletes will have specific seats on the flight while the flight attendants wear light PPE attire during the journey. It is safe to be on a plane as a combination of ventilation systems can remove up to 99 per cent of Covid particles from the air. We also have to observe Olympic guidelines as the organisers have been changing them quite frequently to make sure athletes are protected.
# additional reporting by Fadhli Ishak