On the surface, Malaysia's campaign at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games was a success as the contingent surpassed the target by one gold.
It was a great response to the embarrassment at the Hanoi Sea Games, where Malaysia finished below tiny Singapore in the medal standings.
While we congratulate the medal winners, the sporting authorities in Malaysia will have to take drastic action to save sports like diving and athletics.
It was puzzling that diving had two different targets for the Games — one each from the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) and Malaysia Swimming (MS).
OCM targeted one gold, which was realistic, considering the two bronze achieved at the World Championships in Budapest last month.
However, MS did not want to commit, and instead set a two-medal target of any colour.
Behind the scenes, many were unhappy with OCM's target for unknown reasons.
Timesport had highlighted the topsy-turvy situation in Malaysian diving a few times, which many laughed off.
Diving is a unique sport. And divers do not last long at the top due to the tough training regimen, which easily leads to injuries.
Often, top countries expose talented new divers when a new Olympic cycle comes along.
However, in Malaysia, it is different.
We see the same old faces for a few Olympic cycles in almost all competitions.
It is also embarrassing to see world-class divers like Nur Dhabitah Sabri and Pandelela Rinong competing in the Sea Games.
Finally, the national diving team's lack of depth and weaknesses were exposed in Birmingham.
England, Australia, and Canada had used almost a new set of divers, especially for the women's events at the world meet in Budapest, and only a few made an impact.
However, in less than a month, they showed their prowess by grabbing gold medals on offer in Birmingham.
It is quite surprising to see how their new divers have improved while our new talents are not making progress, despite being in the national team for years.
Is it a coaching problem?
Or are the states not investing enough in development programmes?
In Birmingham, inroads were made in springboard, but no medals came from platform — that is a huge concern as Malaysia are strong in the women's events.
Is age catching up on the 29-year-old Pandelela?
Of course, age does affect a diver.
However, Pandelela has done well for Malaysia, and we should not write her off for one average showing.
The Sarawakian is a fighter, and I believe she will bounce back and bring glory in other competitions.
It will be the icing on the cake if she becomes Malaysia's first Olympic gold medallist in Paris in 2024.
We should not question her commitment but highlight why MS have failed to produce good backup for the seniors.
The OCM and NSC must also question why Cheong Jun Hoong was forced to retire after the Tokyo Olympics, considering the lack of depth in the diving team.
Of course, we hear stories about how her training sessions in Malaysia were interrupted by powers-that-be in the run-up to the Olympics. But that is a story to tell on another day.
And despite being Malaysia's only world champion, the retired Jun Hoong is not involved in any role in Malaysian diving. Perhaps, it is time to get some help from her.
In athletics, the seven-member team basically were on holiday in Birmingham.
Some complained about the cold weather as an excuse not to make an impact.
In the end, none managed to break national records or improve their personal best.
Based on the Games' results, the Sports Ministry should drop underperforming athletes from the Podium Programme and replace them with those who have potential.
Ajitpal Singh is the Sports Editor of NST