Moving away from 'village champion' mentality is also our wish, says Yeoh
The Youth and Sports Minister said she expects to see Olympic sports making up the majority of events when Malaysia hosts the games, which is expected to be spread across Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Johor Bahru and Penang in 2027.
"I have heard the views of Tan Sri Norza who has urged us to avoid having a 'village champion' mentality (when hosting Sea Games) and remain grounded in reality. This is also our wish," said Yeoh today (April 21).
"What he said about our medal tally from the 2017 Kuala Lumpur Sea Games compared to editions after that has truth to it and is rational. This will all be discussed by the 2027 Sea Games Organising Committee with the National Sports Council (NSC) director-general.
"From what I have been told, we have an understanding with Thailand and Singapore (in regards to hosting the Sea Games) where the base of events included (in games held in these three countries) will be from Olympic sports.
"Whether we decide to include additional events on top of that depends on whether we have the budget to include them. This is because the 2027 Sea Games will be spread across four cities."
Thailand will host this year's Sea Games in December while Singapore is set to host the 2029 edition.
Yeoh added that a chief executive officer to oversee preparations for the 2027 Sea Games will be appointed soon.
She was speaking during the Youth and Sports Ministry's Hari Raya Open House event at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil today (April 21).
Norza, who is the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president, recently said Malaysia must shed its "village champion" mentality when hosting the Sea Games.
It is common for Sea Games hosts to include many events or sports that are favoured by their athletes, regardless of whether the sports are in the Olympic programme or not. This is to give the host country an advantage in the medal table.
Malaysia last hosted the Sea Games in 2017 and became overall champions by a country mile on a 145 gold, 92 silver and 86 bronze haul.
The contingent scored more than double the amount of gold won by regional heavyweights Thailand (72-86-88). Vietnam were third on 59-50-60.
Malaysia, however, went on to finish fifth overall at the 2019 Manila Sea Games, sixth at the 2021 Hanoi Sea Games and seventh at the 2023 Phnom Penh Sea Games, which was the country's lowest-ever placing in the history of the biennial games.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Taiwanese boxer Lin agrees to gender test for world championships
Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu-ting won the women's 57kg boxing final against Poland's Julia Szeremeta at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. - Photo: AFP TAIPEI: Taiwanese Olympic champion boxer Lin Yu-ting will undergo compulsory gender testing ahead of the world championships in Liverpool next month, her coach told AFP on Thursday (Aug 21). Lin and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif were embroiled in a gender row at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they both won gold medals in different weight classes. World Boxing said on Wednesday that women wanting to compete at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool would have to undergo "mandatory sex testing" under its new policy that took effect the same day. "They announced that everyone must submit, so we will submit as well," Lin's coach Tseng Tzu-chiang said. "If you want to compete you have to follow the rules of the competition. Since we are participating, we will go by their rules." Under the new policy, athletes over 18 who want to participate in a World Boxing-sanctioned competition need to take a PCR, or polymerase chain reaction genetic test, to determine their sex at birth. Lin and Khelif both fought at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. There was no controversy at the time and neither won a medal. The pair were excluded from the International Boxing Association's (IBA) 2023 world championships after the IBA said they had failed gender eligibility tests. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed them both to compete in Paris, saying they had been victims of "a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA". Both went on to triumph. Neither Khelif nor Lin are transgender women. Both were born and raised as women, which is how they are registered on their passports. World Boxing will organise the boxing competition at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after being granted provisional recognition by the IOC. - AFP
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Taiwanese boxer Lin agrees to gender test for world championships
TAIPEI: Taiwanese Olympic boxing champion Lin Yu-ting will undergo compulsory gender testing ahead of next month's world championships in Liverpool. Lin and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif were embroiled in a gender controversy during the 2024 Paris Olympics where both athletes secured gold medals in their respective weight categories. World Boxing announced on Wednesday that female competitors must undergo 'mandatory sex testing' under a new policy effective immediately. 'They announced that everyone must submit, so we will submit as well,' Lin's coach Tseng Tzu-chiang said. 'If you want to compete you have to follow the rules of the competition. Since we are participating, we will go by their rules.' The new policy requires athletes over 18 to undergo PCR genetic testing to determine their sex at birth for World Boxing-sanctioned competitions. Both Lin and Khelif competed at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 without controversy though neither won medals during that event. The International Boxing Association excluded both boxers from its 2023 world championships after claiming they failed gender eligibility tests. The International Olympic Committee permitted their participation in Paris, describing their previous exclusion as 'a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA'. Neither athlete identifies as transgender, with both having been born and raised as women according to their passport documentation. World Boxing will organise the boxing competition at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after receiving provisional recognition from the IOC. – AFP
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Maba back young cagers to shine on Fiba Asia Cup stage
Team for future: The Under-16 national team posing after the flag handing ceremony. PETALING JAYA: Malaysia's rising basketball talents will have a golden chance to impress selectors for a place in the Thailand SEA Games squad when they take the court at the Fiba Under-16 Women's Asia Cup, to be held at the Karisma Arena in Seremban from Sept 13-28. Drawn in Group B of Division Two, Malaysia will face Indonesia, Hong Kong and Tonga. The tournament offers the perfect stage for the cagers to prove themselves while aiming to lift Malaysia's standing in the region. The women's team last shone at the SEA Games in 2017, but have since only managed bronze, making the hunt for fresh impact all the more pressing. At the national flag presentation on Thursday (Aug 21), Malaysian Basketball Association (Maba) deputy president Datuk Wong Kun Yew urged the players to rise to the occasion. 'I hope you will achieve excellent results and bring pride to Malaysia and Maba,' said Kun Yew. Maba deputy secretary Shen Sieng Hsing highlighted the tournament's importance beyond SEA Games selection. 'This tournament is held once every two years. If Malaysia win the Division B title, they will be promoted to Division A in the Under-18 category in 2028,' he said. Also present at the ceremony were Maba deputy president Datuk Lee Yin Fong, secretary-general Chan Ki Sian, team manager Lau Chin Chuan and representatives from sponsors Milo, showing strong backing for the young cagers. Division One Group A: Australia, Taiwan, South Kora, The Philippines Group B: Japan, New Zealand, China, Syria Division Two Group A: Samoa, India, Iran, Uzbekistan. Group B: Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Tonga.
