KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 (Bernama) -- Back up and elite athletes would have to compete among themselves in a Mini-Olympics to earn their tickets to the Olympic Games once the National Sports Council (NSC) introduces the system in August.
Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said unlike SUKMA (held every two years), the Mini-Olympics would become an annual sporting event featuring only Olympic sports.
"The focus will be on Olympic sports that Malaysia can win medals, like archery, shooting and weightlifting," said Ismail Sabri after handing out special incentives to junior athletes here Wednesday.
In the long term, foreign contingents may be invited to participate so that the event will become more competitive as the SUKMA cannot be used for such purposes because many of the sports competed like silat, netball or sepak takraw are not Olympic sports, he said.
Ismail Sabri handed out incentives to a tune of RM20,800 to 24 athletes who won medals at the Australia Youth Olympic Festival which ended last week and the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India last year.
-- BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama) -- Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek remains confident that the national Uber Cup squad can spring a surprise when Malaysia hosts the Thomas and Uber Cup finals at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil from May 9-16. He said despite not being the favourite, the women's team was able to surprise everyone by winning the gold medal at the Laos SEA Games. "I am confident they (Uber Cup team) will be able to produce a similar surprise. Not only are they capable of reaching the semi-final, they can go further," he told reporters after having lunch with national shuttlers here Thursday. National badminton Team manager Datuk Syed Abu Bakar Abdullah who echoed the minister's confidence said: "In Laos, nobody expected the women's team to win the world, so why not the Uber Cup? All they need to do is try their very best." Women's team captain Wong Pei Tty said she and her team-mates have set a target of r...
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