IPOH, July 20 — Malaysia has set a new target of six gold medals for the upcoming Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, taking into consideration the personal records and current status of the national athletes.

Chef-de-mission (CDM) of the national contingent to the Games from July 28 to August 8, Datuk Shahrul Zaman Yahya said the target was considered realistic based on the records and achievements of Malaysian athletes in events they had competed in before, compared to the athletes from other countries.

"If all goes well with the current athletes, we will achieve that target. For the curious, on why we are not matching the (seven-gold) target of the 2018 edition of the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast of Australia, (it is because) we have to be realistic... hence, our measure now is the personal records and comparative achievements of the athletes.

"We are setting a six-gold target because we have compared the records of our athletes with those of other countries,” said Shahrul Zaman, who is also the Perak Industry, Investment and Corridor Development Committee chairman, after the State Legislative Assembly sitting was adjourned, here, today.

Earlier, the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) had targeted seven gold medals in badminton (two golds) and one gold each in rhythmic gymnastics, lawn bowls, weightlifting, squash and powerlifting.

However, the target was changed following the withdrawal of national badminton singles champion Lee Zii Jia and national women’s squash player S. Sivasangari who was injured in a car accident.

Yesterday, Youth and Sports Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Faisal Azumu announced the new target of six gold medals for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, saying it was realistic due to the factors affecting some national athletes.

The Malaysian contingent led by Shahrul Zaman, involves 105 athletes who will compete in 14 sports including four para events. They are expected to leave for Birmingham, England in stages starting this Saturday.

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Malaysia won seven gold, five silver and 12 bronze medals. — Bernama