NATIONAL SPORTS COUNCIL / YEAR IN REVIEW: Tight but projects to move on

Plans laid for 2013 and 2014

The men’s recurve team (from left) Khairul Anuar Mohamad, Cheng Chu Sian and Haziq Kamaruddin.

DESPITE being a tight financial squeeze, the National Sports Council still managed to doll out enough cash to keep its programmes humming along ahead of the 2012 London Olympics. Its reward was a better than expected showing at the Indonesia Sea Games besides improvement shown by athletes in archery, bowling cycling, diving, football and squash.   Badminton, though, had little to show apart from the conquests of Lee Chong Wei and with NSC having a direct interest in the sport, the lack of talent coming through must be a major concern.   For badminton, or rather Chong Wei, is Malaysia's best hope of ending the Olympic gold medal drought in London.   The Sea Games was the highlight for NSC, although it did come in for criticism after initially laying on an all-too-modest target of 40-45 gold medals.   The national contingent came through in style to deliver 59 gold medals, falling just one short of the more realistic 60 gold-target envisioned by the national sport associations.   With backing from NSC, Chong Wei dominated the Super Series circuit, winning the All-England in the process, while also providing support for Nicol David's march to a record sixth world title.   Track cycling continued to prosper through NSC's Road to London programme with Azizul Hasni Awang the chief beneficiary while archery prospered through the promotion of back-up archers to the elite squad as Khairul Anuar Mohamad and Haziq Kamaruddin took the world by storm.   Jacqueline Jenelee Sijore and Chai Fong Ying won world titles in bowling and wushu respectively while the Under-23 football team's Sea Games success was in no small part due to NSC's partnership with the FA of Malaysia.   NSC was also embroiled in a perennial feud with the Malaysian Athletic Union and took steps to patch up a frayed relationship with the Sepak Takraw Association of Malaysia, though the benefits were not apparent.   NSC director-general Datuk Zolkeples Embong described 2011 as a success with several Pelapis (back-up) athletes -- notably in wushu and karate -- showing their potential at the Sea Games.   "In general, 2011 is a successful year for us. Besides doing well at the Sea Games, our athletes performed well at other international competitions," said Zolkeples.   "Chong Wei and Nicol won so many tournaments and still maintained their ranking as No 1 (in the world). Despite having a small population, we also produced world champions in Jacqueline, Fong Ying and (bodybuilder) Sazali (Samad).   "Of course, (Sea Games) is not our priority as we have done better than Indonesia and Vietnam (who finished ahead of Malaysia) at the (2010) Asian Games. But the Sea Games has proven we are not short of potential as 52 Pelapis athletes took part and 40 went on merit under Category A, contributing four gold, four silver and 13 bronze medals."   The Olympics will be the biggest event of 2012 and NSC will no doubt be under pressure to justify the expense of the Road to London programme to produce an Olympic gold medalist.   Though Chong Wei remains Malaysia's best bet of winning gold, athletes from cycling, diving and archery are also capable of bringing home medals.   "As 2012 is an Olympic year, we will work harder to fulfil our dream of winning our first gold ever. Many sports have improved. Before, we relied only on badminton for medals but now archery, cycling and diving also have a chance," said Zolkples.   NSC's work though does not cease with the Olympics as it is also looking ahead to 2014 with new programmes in the pipeline.   "We will immediately start preparing programmes for the 2013 Myanmar Sea Games and for Incheon (Asian Games) and Glasgow (Commonwealth Games) in 2014."   ON TARGET  40 of 52 Pelapis athletes competed in Sea Games on merit, contributing four gold, four silver and 13 bronze medals

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