MA plays it safe this time after 2023 flop
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Athletics (MA) won't ask for trouble this time.
No bold gold medal-target proclaimation from the national association for the Thailand Sea Games in December.
MA has wisened up. For the 2023 Phnom Penh Sea Games, Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF) declared an eyebrow-raising 10-gold target.
It turned out MAF was only 'half successful' as its athletes won only five gold.
Overall, the Malaysian contingent failed to meet their target in Phnom Penh and the athletics squad were criticised for being a letdown.
MA president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim was more cautious this time.
He said that MAF would not reveal the gold-target for Bangkok.
"The sports minister will announce the number of gold target for athletics soon. But we want to make sure our athletes deliver better than five golds in Bangkok.
"When the athletes don't perform, the president and association get the blame. But when the athletes perform, no one praises the president or the association," said Shahidan.
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