KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s chef de mission (CDM) to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin is optimistic and ready to work wholeheartedly to end the nation’s wait for its first gold medal at the world’s most premier sports games.
Hamidin, who is Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president, promised to work hard until the climax of the Games from July 26 to August 11 next year, to ensure that the Negaraku (national anthem) will be heard in Paris.
He also intends to increase the achievement of silver and bronze medals at the Games.
“When a position is given to me, I am not half-hearted, I am a person who is very committed and works wholeheartedly. InsyaAllah, we can realise the mission (to win gold), it is not impossible.
“We did have a chance at Rio 2016, but missed out. I want to work towards that (securing the nation’s first Olympic gold) ,” he said after he and deputy CDM Datuk Nicol David visited the national badminton squad during their training session at Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM(ABM) here yesterday.
Malaysia, who have participated in the summer Olympics since the 1956 edition in Melbourne, have yet to win a gold medal. The best achievement was winning four silver and one bronze at the Rio 2016 edition.
Meanwhile, Hamidin said his first visit as CDM was made to ABM because all the players under the umbrella of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and professionals were in training today, except for Lee Zii Jia who is in Hong Kong.
Hamidin said he will next visit the preparations of other sports to meet the athletes and get updates on latest developments.
“I will meet all associations and athletes who have the potential to qualify (for Paris) such as diving, cycling, sailing, shooting and break dance. We will monitor all those who are potentially eligible,” he said. – BERNAMA
