PUTRAJAYA: Olympian Josiah Ng is ready to play a key role in helping Malaysian athletes deliver the country's first Olympic gold medal at next year's Paris Games as an advisor to the Road to Gold (RTG) programme.
The 43-year-old former track cyclist represented Malaysia at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, and London 2012.
Josiah, who is now Sepang International Circuit's (SIC) Talent Team Performance coach, said he took the RTG offer on a pro bono basis.
"I'm all in helping Malaysia win their first Olympic gold.
" I had tried it through three editions of the Olympics, but I couldn't, and my mission is now to win the gold through other athletes," said Josiah.
"I would love to talk to the RTG athletes and formulate ways to help them win an Olympic gold."
"The odds are high, but we still have a good chance to win an Olympic gold medal in Paris.
"The trajectory is with Azizulhasni (Awang) in the keirin. He finished sixth at London 2012 and then won bronze at Rio 2016, followed by silver at Tokyo 2021.
"So, in Paris, he might win gold."
Josiah said that having the RTG covering two Olympic cycles - the 2023 Paris Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Games - shows positive change in terms of preparation.
"If we want to challenge the likes of Britain, France, the United States, Australia, and China, we need to have long-term plans.
"These countries plan for 10 to 15 years to be a contender for gold medals," he said.
"We have a short time for Paris, but for LA, we have ample time."