2024 PROMISES to be an exhilarating one for Malaysian sports, with the Paris Olympics taking centre stage from July 26-Aug 11.
Winning an Olympic gold medal distinguishes the elite from the rest in world sports — a feat Malaysia has yet to achieve, though they have won silver and bronze medals.
With the country facing challenges economically, not winning an Olympic gold will not look good, especially with some Malaysians even struggling to provide three meals a day for their families, considering the large amount of money spent on elevating the performances of athletes over the years.
Before the Olympic Games, however, fans will closely watch the performance of Harimau Malaya at the Asian Cup from Jan 12-Feb 10.
Although world No. 130 Malaysia are among the lowest-ranked teams in the competition, many expect them to grab attention, especially with a squad of many heritage and naturalised players.
Harimau Malaya are in Group E with former World Cup semi-finalists South Korea, Bahrain and Jordan.
Thanks to the luck of the draw, Kim Pan Gon's side will face Bahrain and Jordan first, matches in which Malaysia have a chance of collecting maximum points.
However, fans cannot expect miracles against Son Heung Min-led Korea, ranked 23rd in the world.
Malaysia's fate in the Asian Cup lies in the opening two matches, and victories will see them create a proud history of reaching the second round.
For the record, Malaysia have beaten several higher-ranked teams since the arrival of Kim Pan Gon but are still not at the same level as Asia's elite, comprising Korea, Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Setting a standard for Malaysian football with the help of heritage and naturalised players is good, but it should not be standard practice in the years to come.
More should be done development-wise through the National Football Development Programme, which FAM should oversee and fund under the Fifa Forward initiative.
This approach ensures sustainable progress rather than relying on imported talent.
In hockey, the national men's team will be in Muscat this month for the Olympic qualifiers at the Paris Games.
Malaysia have not qualified for the Olympics since the 2000 Sydney Games.
A. Arul Selvaraj's team failed to meet their gold medal target at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, finishing sixth and missing out on an Olympic spot.
Although Malaysian hockey fans hope to see the Speedy Tigers in Paris, it will be a touch-and-go campaign in the qualifiers, with Britain, Pakistan and China in the same group.
To enhance Malaysia's hockey prowess, grassroots programmes should adopt a club-based structure, mirroring successful European models.
Although Malaysia have many up-and-coming players, they somehow lose their way and give up.
The Malaysian Hockey Confederation should create more avenues for budding players to hone their skills.
As for the Paris Games, it is time Malaysia produced their first Olympic champion, which will create excitement and elevate the status of sports in the country.
Malaysia should have a healthy number of Olympic qualifiers, but most will be passengers in Paris.
Again, Malaysia will rely on badminton and track cycling for medals in Paris.
The BA of Malaysia has done well, producing many talents through its development initiatives, and badminton will likely have the most Malaysian representatives in Paris.
Former All England champion Lee Zii Jia, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah are among Malaysia's medal contenders.
However, to win an Olympic title, the Malaysian shuttlers must work harder and show consistency, which they lack.
In cycling, Azizulhasni Awang eyes a third consecutive Olympic medal in the keirin, while Shah Firdaus Sahrom could be a surprise if he transforms into a mental powerhouse.
Azizulhasni, the former world and reigning Asian champion, will be 36 on Jan 5, and due to age factor, he has to work harder to improve his "horsepower" and end Malaysia's Olympic title wait.
Diving, once a source of Olympic medals for Malaysia, is on a decline due to lack of talent and coaching quality.
After returning with Olympic medals in 2012 London and 2016 Rio, the divers returned empty-handed from the Tokyo Games.
Again, Malaysia will be depending on Pandelela Rinong, Nur Dhabitah Sabri and Wendy Ng to deliver a medal from the women's 3m springboard and platform events.
The spotlight will be on Dhabitah, but things could prove taxing if she qualifies for too many events for the Paris Games.
In athletics, sprinter Azeem Fahmi and Shereen Samson Vallabouy regained some of Malaysia's lost pride with several eye-catching performances last year.
However, qualifying for the Olympics will be tough. Azeem must run 10 seconds flat in the men's 100m to qualify on merit while Shereen must meet the 50.95s mark in the women's 400m to earn a spot at the Paris Games.
In summary, 2024 promises an eventful season for Malaysian sports, accompanied by numerous targets. Yet, the ultimate joy would be etched in history by clinching Malaysia's first Olympic title.