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Khairy: SEA Games medal target not an urgent matter

Khairy: "... whether it’s the gold medal target or overall medal target. It’s something we’re still discussing. It’s not a matter that we see as urgent." - RAJA FAISAL / The Star
Khairy: "... whether it’s the gold medal target or overall medal target. It’s something we’re still discussing. It’s not a matter that we see as urgent." - RAJA FAISAL / The Star


KUALA LUMPUR: There’s no urgency to set a gold medal target for the Malaysian contingent at next month’s SEA Games in Singapore.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that he would announce it at the right time.
Chef de mission Datuk Norza Zakaria had revealed last week that the Malaysian contingent was looking at returning with 50 gold medals – more or less.

“We have yet to come up with the final target,” Khairy said after chairing the Malaysia Games (Sukma) Supreme Committee meeting.

“We’ll decide eventually ... whether it’s the gold medal target or overall medal target. It’s something we’re still discussing. It’s not a matter that we see as urgent. I’ll announce it when the time comes.”
Prior to Norza’s unofficial projection, no gold medal targets were set for the athletes.

Khairy also pointed out that the contingent’s performance should not be judged solely on the number of gold medals won but “on the total medal haul and the performance of our young athletes”.
The Sports Minister also announced that Perak and Johor have been handed the job of hosting the 2018 and 2020 Sukma.

Johor last hosted the Sukma in 1992 while Perak held it in 1994.

It was confirmed that 24 sports, of which 19 are compulsory, will be contested at the Sarawak Sukma from July 22-31 next year.

The compulsory sports are aquatics (swimming and diving), weightlifting, badminton, cycling (road), football, gymnastics (artistic and rhythmic), hockey (men’s and women’s), karate, lawn bowls, archery, shooting, athletics, silat, sailing, sepak takraw, squash, taekwondo, tenpin bowling and wushu.

The five optional sports are volleyball, petanque, tennis, golf and boxing.
Most of the events will be held in Kuching, with badminton and volleyball in Sibu and sailing and karate in Miri.



 by Tan Ming Wai - The Star

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