KUALA LUMPUR — Any findings from the post-mortem session on the national contingent’s performance at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in August should be presented “transparently and with full accountability”.
Sports analyst Datuk Pekan Ramli stressed the findings from the post-mortem — taking place tomorrow with all stakeholders — must not end as mere paperwork, rather, it should be genuinely considered and applied in preparation for the next Games.
The post-mortem will include the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS), National Sports Council (NSC), National Sports Institute (NSI), Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM), and representatives from Nippon Sports Science University (NSSI).
Also participating are 10 sports associations involved in the Paris Olympics, including badminton, cycling, diving, aquatics, swimming, sailing, golf, athletics, archery, shooting, and weightlifting.
For the Paralympic squads, sports represented include powerlifting, badminton, athletics, archery, boccia, cycling, aquatics, swimming, and wheelchair tennis.
Pekan believes that tomorrow’s report should provide a clear justification for every ringgit spent on the athletes involved in the Paris campaign.
Rather than placing blame, the aim is to use the findings as a reference to address weaknesses and improve preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
“For instance, take the national track cycling team and Datuk Azizulhasni Awang—significant investments were made in them, as they were considered Malaysia’s gold medal prospects.
“However, since Azizul and the other riders couldn’t deliver, we want to understand how much was spent, and this should be presented transparently and meticulously.
“At the same time, both associations and athletes must uphold accountability, considering the substantial funding they’ve received—not just for cycling, but for any athlete or sport under the Youth and Sports Ministry’s purview.
“If they received support but fell short, they bear some responsibility. They shouldn’t be discouraged if their funding is reduced in the future, as other sports may emerge as medal prospects,” Pekan told Scoop.
At the Paris Olympics, the national contingent missed out on its first gold medal but secured two bronze medals, contributed by men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia.
In contrast, the national Paralympic squad achieved notable success, winning two gold medals through Cheah Liek Hou and Bonnie Bunyau Gustin, two silvers from Latif Romly and Ziyad Zolkefli, and a bronze from Eddy Bernard.
Pekan added that for LA2028, Malaysia should diversify its focus beyond traditional sports like track cycling and diving. Instead, funds should be distributed equitably to other sports with medal potential.
“We understand that in sports, the value of a medal can’t always be directly equated with our spending. However, it’s still important to ensure that the investments we make align with expenses for training programmes, equipment, and other essentials, so everything is ultimately well justified.
“Is it appropriate for us to spend hundreds of thousands, or even millions, on an athlete who ultimately doesn’t deliver the desired results? Perhaps if we channelled those funds to other sports, the outcome might be different. This is something we need to carefully consider and examine.
“Whatever the outcome, I hope the report will be made public so that everyone can understand and assess it,” he added. — November 13, 2024