KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — Malaysian athletes set for the Paris Olympics in July are more equipped and prepared compared with previous batches, said Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
She said this was thanks to the government’s efforts to meet athletes’ needs through the Road To Gold (RTG) project.
“Malaysia has invested a lot into our athletes, and I’m quite certain they also want to see success, they also want the medals. We just hope everything will proceed safely all the way to Paris. For me, the most important thing is no injuries, so we wish them success.
“The government stands behind our athletes to make sure everything they need, we have provided under the RTG project. I’m quite certain they are very equipped and prepared for this round, compared with the last few Olympics,” she said at a press conference after a tea ceremony with three Games-bound track cyclists in Bukit Tunku here today.
Hannah also praised the country’s track cycling ecosystem, which has successfully drawn private sector interest to invest and jointly develop the sport.
The three track cyclists were feted in a tea ceremony with ex-Deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam, who is also former chairman of Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD).
The three cyclists were Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom, Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri, and 2017 world keirin champion Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang.
Also present at the ceremony was YSD chairman and former Olympic Council of Malaysia president Tan Sri Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar, national track cycling squad head coach John Beasley, and representatives of sponsors.
— Bernama
