PUTRAJAYA – The Federal Territories remain supportive despite the absence of their top athletes, Ariana Nur Dania Mohamad Zairi and Khiew Hoe Yan, at the upcoming Sarawak Malaysia Games (Sukma) in August.
Both have been selected to represent Malaysia at the Paris Olympics, a prestigious opportunity which overrides their Sukma participation.
Federal Territories Sports Council director Nik Ahmad Zahiruddin Nik Saleh emphasised their decision not to appeal to the Youth and Sports Ministry or the National Sports Council (NSC) for the athletes’ Sukma participation.
He expressed pride in their qualification for the Olympics, highlighting Ariana’s historic achievement in archery and Hoe Yan’s consistent success in swimming.
Ariana, 18, secured her Olympic spot by winning the Asia Continental Qualification Tournament in Bangkok last November, becoming a pivotal member of Malaysia’s women’s recurve archery team, the first to qualify for the Olympics since the country’s first participation in 1956.
Meanwhile, Hoe Yan, a frequent gold medallist since 2018, may miss defending his Sukma title due to Malaysia Aquatics’ proposal for him to compete in Paris under a wild card slot in the 400m freestyle.
“Frankly, I can say our situation in the Federal Territories is like between a rock and a hard place,” said Nik Ahmad.
“For instance, with Ariana, we’ve targeted her as our gold medal contributor in archery. The same goes for Hoe Yan, who has often dominated the swimming pool in freestyle events.
“But in the grand scheme of things, we understand the Olympics is a major sporting event, and the original purpose of establishing the Sukma was to unearth young athletes.
“Thus, we will fully support both of our athletes competing in Paris and refrain from lodging any appeals to the Sports Ministry and NSC.”
Nik Ahmad added that the absence of Ariana and Hoe Yan also presented an opportunity for other young athletes from the Federal Territories to showcase their abilities in the upcoming local event.
“We are ready for the absence of these two athletes. I firmly believe this presents the ideal stage to nurture new talent for our nation’s sports,” Nik Ahmad added.
The Federal Territories aim to build on their previous success by targeting a top-five finish in this year’s games after having previously secured third place overall in Sukma 2022 with 55 gold, 68 silver, and 64 bronze medals. – June 27, 2024