PETALING JAYA: National contingent Chef de Mission (CDM) Datuk Hamidin Amin has given his assurance that all athletes who qualify for the Paris Olympics will be given the support they need, regardless of whether they are in the Road to Gold (RTG) programme or not.
Hamidin today met with recurve archer Ariana Nur Dania Mohamad Zairi and sailor Nur Shazrin Mohamad Latif. The duo have both qualified for Paris, but are not included in the RTG programme.
To be included in the programme, an athlete should be ranked within the top-10 in the world or be a former Olympic medallist, though exceptions have been made for those seen to have medal potential in Paris.
"Although they are not in the RTG programme, we will do our best to fulfil any requests they have. I have discussed this with the Youth and Sports minister (Hannah Yeoh) and she is very concerned (about athletes' wellbeing)," said Hamidin during a press conference at a hotel here, today.
"This support will be rendered either through the Olympic Council of Malaysia, National Sports Council (NSC) or the National Sports Institute.
"This is because besides being on the hunt for our first gold medal, we also want to win as many other medals as possible.
"And as I have said earlier, the number of athletes we have in the contingent will be smaller as a number of athletes have failed to secure qualification."
Malaysia is expected to send its smallest contingent to the Olympics in recent times, as the national hockey team, as well as a number of senior divers have failed to make the cut for the Paris Games.
Hamidin added that he was impressed by Bertrand Rhodict Lises and Ariana, both of whom will turn 19 this year.
"Both of them are young and have the potential to do well for us at the 2028 Los Angeles games and beyond," he said.
"It is important for their respective national associations and NSC to focus on developing them."
Hamidin said he is also hoping for shuttler Ng Tze Yong to make a swift recovery.
Tze Yong has been sidelined due to a back injury and is expected to undergo surgery soon. The injury has put his chances of qualifying for Paris in jeopardy as the qualification window will end in April.
He is one of 14 athletes currently under the RTG programme.
RTG is an elite athlete preparation programme intended to provide cream-of-the-crop athletes the additional support they need to challenge for gold in Paris, LA2028 and other major international competitions.
In addition to extra sport science support, competition exposure and coaching, athletes under the RTG programme also receive an additional allowance of RM3,000 a month.