TANJUNG MALIM: The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) will be banking on athletes from five sports to deliver medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games from July 26 to Aug 11.
OCM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria said badminton, cycling, diving, archery and sailing have the potential to deliver the goods for the national contingent.
"Our athletes in these sports have a good prospect of contributing the gold medal at the world's biggest multi-sports Games and that - the gold medal - is our primary objective.
"Winning just one Olympic gold medal feels different to winning 10 Olympic silver medals. So, surely, we are gunning for gold," he told a media conference after the signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the OCM and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (Upsi) and the International Olympic Day 2024 celebration.
Also present were Upsi vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Md Amin Md Taff and Malaysian chef de mission to the Paris Olympics, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin.
But, Norza said, that doesn't mean the other sports can just take it easy as they too are seen as being able to etch their name at the Olympics.
"All the athletes have qualified for the Olympics, which means they too stand a chance to win a medal. After all, they have been striving for four years to reach this high level, so they will surely do their best to ensure they do not become mere 'passengers'.
"Everyone who calls himself or herself an athlete dreams of qualifying for the Olympics, so now that they have reached it, we will give them all the support they need so that they can produce their best in Paris," he said.
He added that all the athletes are in peak condition to challenge for medals at the Games.
"Some of our athletes are already there as part of their final lap of preparations. Some of the sports also have their own plans. Our advice is to be careful with their preparations to avoid any injuries.
"I hope all the athletes will be in the best shape and free from injuries ahead of the Games," he said.
Earlier, about 5,000 participants comprising Upsi students and staff and the community around Muallim joined in the International Olympic Day 2024 celebration, which was held simultaneously in over 200 other countries, and aimed at igniting a collective passion for the Paris Olympic Games. – BERNAMA