National athletes will strive to win Malaysia's first Olympic Gold in Paris - Hamidin

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian chef de mission to the 2024 Paris Olympics Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin has given an assurance that national athletes will do their best to end the country's wait for its first Olympic gold medal.

He said that, at present, national track cyclist Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and national men's doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, who are still chasing spots in Paris, are the best bets to win Malaysia's first Olympic gold medal.

"To win gold, you must be the best in the world... in terms of records, Azizulhasni is the closest, followed by Aaron-Wooi Yik but they are not stable yet and the hope is that they will reach peak performance in Paris.

"... we will continue to strive (to deliver the elusive Olympic gold)," he said.

He said this when met at the celebration held in conjunction with the FAM president's birthday and the team competing in the 2023 Asian Cup Finals and 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya yesterday.

So far, five national athletes have confirmed their tickets to Paris. They are recurve archer Ariana Nur Dania Zairi, road cyclist Nur Aisyah Mohamad Zubir, diver Bertrand Rhodict Lises, sailor Nur Shazrin Mohamad Latif and shooter Johnathan Wong.

More national athletes are expected to book their Olympic spots, including Mohd Azizulhasni and Aaron-Wooi Yik, since the qualifying period for the prestigious multi-sport Games is open until next June.

Hamidin, meanwhile, said he is committed to helping the five athletes who have qualified for the Paris Olympics since they are not in the Road to Gold (RTG) programme.

"I will meet them here next month to find out about their needs. Although they are not in the RTG, we need to help them and that is my duty," he said.

For the record, Malaysia's best achievement in the Olympic Games was finishing with four silvers and one bronze in the 2016 edition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The 2024 Paris Olympics will be held from July 26 to Aug 11.

-- BERNAMA