SEPANG: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh is confident the national contingent will achieve the four-gold target at the Paris Paralympic Games.
She is optimistic that the athletes, especially those with previous Games experience, will perform to expectations.
"We pray for this (four gold medals). For first-time athletes, I hope they will be calm and confident because the Paralympic Games present a unique challenge compared to other competitions," she told reporters after sending off the national contingent at KLIA 1 today.
The Malaysia Paralympic Council (MPC) has set a goal of securing four gold medals.
To date, Malaysia have won six Paralympic gold medals, with three earned at Rio 2016 and another three at Tokyo 2020.
Yeoh also advised the national contingent to remain vigilant and protect their personal belongings throughout the Games.
"My concern is safety. Athletes must be cautious with their personal belongings like passports and wallets," she said.
Incidents during the Paris Olympics have raised safety concerns, including an attempted robbery involving two Australian TV crew members and an alleged sexual assault on an Australian woman, as reported by the media.
A total of 17 athletes and 17 officials departed for Paris from KLIA Terminal 1 today.
Malaysia is fielding 30 athletes across eight sports in the Paralympics scheduled from Aug 28 to Sept 8. – BERNAMA