Road to Gold: Additional athletes may be discussed next month

 

Any additional athletes in the Road To Gold (RTG) programme may be discussed in the programme evaluation committee meeting next month.

Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said among the topics of discussion in the meeting include the possibility of listing athletes who have booked their slots in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

“The meeting will look into the updates including new rankings of athletes as well as listen to feedback from three former athletes in the RTG committee, namely Lee Chong Wei, Mirnawan Nawawi and Nicol David.

“After the RTG meeting, there will be a media conference,” she told reporters after opening the National Sports Institute (ISN) Inspire 2023 programme in Kuala Lumpur today.

Also present were Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim and ISN chief executive officer Ahmad Faedzal Md Ramli.

So far, young diver Bertrand Rhodict Lises is the first national athlete to qualify on merit to the 2024 Olympic Games after entering the final of the men’s 10-m platform in the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, last month.

However, Bertrand is not listed in the RTG programme to hunt the country’s first gold medal in the 2024 Olympic Games.

High-performance sports

Among the athletes listed in the programme are national track cycling champion, Mohd Azizulhasni Awang, men’s doubles world defending champions, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik as well as diving queen, Pandelela Rinong.

Meanwhile, Yeoh (above) announced the new board members of ISN, among them are former national sportswoman, Marina Chin as chairperson and Medical Development Division director, Dr Mohd Azman Yacob as the representative of the Health Ministry.

Apart from Nicol, Yeoh also appointed Badminton Association of Malaysia deputy president I V Subramaniam, Eastern Region Olympic Council of Malaysia chairperson Tan Kah Hock and Universiti Malaya Sports and Exercise Science Faculty lecturer Mohamed Nashrudin Naharudin as a member appointed by the minister.

She said all new appointments of ISN board would be capable of upholding its vision and mission in enhancing the agency as the leader of the ecosystem for high-performance sports apart from world-standard sports research and innovation.

On ‘ISN Inspire 2023’, she said the programme is the celebration of ISN’s 12th anniversary on Sept 16.

- Bernama