Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh issued an apology to her country for the lack of a gold medal at the recent Olympic Games in Paris. The Road to Gold programme, initiated by the ministry in 2023, aimed to support elite athletes in their quest for Malaysia’s first-ever Olympic gold. Despite the disappointing results, Ms Yeoh promised to continue supporting the country’s athletes and coaches and will evaluate the performance of the teams involved in the Paris Olympics.
Former Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin defended the performance of Malaysian athletes at the Paris Olympics, comparing it to past results at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and the 2012 Olympics in London. While he acknowledged that the two bronze medals won in Paris were below the five medals achieved at Rio 2016, he refrained from categorizing the results as a failure, instead, labeling them as average. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim echoed similar sentiments, noting that new plans are being developed to enhance Malaysia’s sports performance in the future.
Malaysia brought home two bronze medals from the Paris Olympics, received by the badminton team consisting of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in men’s doubles, and Lee Zii Jia in men’s singles. The country’s hopes for a gold medal were dashed when cyclist Azizulhasni Awang was disqualified for a technical error in the keirin track cycling discipline. Azizulhasni had previously won bronze in Rio 2016 and silver in the Tokyo Games, highlighting the challenges faced by Malaysian athletes in achieving the elusive gold medal.
Despite the disappointment of not securing a gold medal in Paris, Malaysia has demonstrated consistent success at the Olympic Games, with a total of 15 medals in silver and bronze over the years. The government, led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, is committed to improving the country’s sports performance through new initiatives and strategies. While the results may have fallen short of expectations, Malaysians are urged to accept the outcome and continue supporting their athletes in their pursuit of excellence on the world stage.
