SEPANG: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has strongly hinted that the new medal target system used for the Hangzhou Asian Games will also be implemented for future multi-sport competitions.
The ministry last month announced a 27-medal target for the contingent that competed in Hangzhou without specifying the number of gold medals targeted.
The national contingent concluded the competition yesterday with six gold, eight silver and 18 bronze for a 32-medal total, which was not far from the 7-13-16 tally Malaysia achieved at the 2018 Indonesia Asian Games.
Yeoh, who arrived home from Hangzhou together with the karate and kabaddi squads today, said safeguarding the wellbeing of the athletes remained her priority.
"This (new target system) was done based on the advice from the Nippon Sports Science University (NSSU)," Yeoh said at a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
"When speaking to our athletes in Hangzhou, they said that this new style relieved them of pressure before their competitions and helped them a lot.
"As we are not only targeting gold, those who won bronze also felt that they were celebrated.
"If it is good for our athletes then we should continue."
The implementation of the new target system drew criticism from various parties last month.
Yeoh, however, made it clear that she will stand firm on any decision made.
"Some people may not be happy when changes are made. We, however, are not afraid to make changes as long as they benefit our athletes."
"If we set a high target, people will criticise us and say that it is not realistic.
"If we set a low target, people will say we lack ambition. If we don't set any target, people will say we lack confidence.
"I believe that the changes we have made based on advice from NSSU are starting to bear fruit.
"Experts from NSSU will be coming here again next month to review every result we achieved in Hangzhou."
Yeoh added that she will present the national contingent's achievements to the cabinet this week.
The national budget for next year was set to be tabled on Friday.
"Our (Malaysia's) performance is always compared with the performances of other countries, but we cannot just look at the number of medals won," said Yeoh.
"We also have to look at the amount of money invested, as each country spends a different amount.
"If you look at the track record of those (athletes) who succeeded, they all needed international exposure and different types of training, which all required funding."
Yeoh, however, said she did not want to comment on athletes' performances under the Road to Gold (RTG) programme until the RTG committee has conducted a meeting, which is expected to be soon.