Hannah Yeoh: Able-bodied athletes can emulate recipe for success from para swimmers 

SEPANG, June 10 — The proud achievement of the national contingent at the 2023 Asean Para Games (APG) can be an inspiration for able-bodied athletes to emulate, especially in swimming, track and field.

Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said the 2023 APG post-mortem report to be presented by the Malaysian Paralympic Council (MPC) is not only to see what improvements can be made but to identify the ‘secret’ for their success so that it can be shared with the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) to further empower able-bodied athletes.

The Malaysian para athletes who competed in the 2023 APG hauled in 50 gold, 38 silver and 34 bronze medals to finish fourth in the list of 11 countries that participated.

“When you look at the data of the 50 gold medals that showed 26 came from swimming and 14 from athletics, it means that the recipe for success is for us to get many (gold) medals in track and field and swimming.

“Although we succeeded in exceeding the target, the ‘post-mortem’ is to see how to improve or what recipe for success we might be able to share with OCM, to be applied to the contingent of able-bodied athletes,” she said at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1, here today.

Earlier, Hannah and Prime Minister’s wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail led the families of the para athletes in a reception worthy of a heroes’ welcome for the triumphant return of the national contingent that made Malaysia proud at the 2023 APG.

Meanwhile, Hannah said her ministry will further support the MPC secretariat, while the National Sports Council (NSC) will look at the allocation that can be given each year to help para athletes achieve more.

At the 2023 APG in Cambodia which drew its curtains down yesterday, the achievement of 50 gold, 38 silver and 34 bronze saw Malaysia occupy fourth place in the medal table behind champions Indonesia, Thailand (second) and Vietnam (third).

The MPC had previously announced a target of 33-51-58 medals compared to the 36 gold, 20 silver and 14 bronze medals won in the last edition in Solo, Indonesia.

In a separate development, Hannah denied that the Malaysian Canoe Association (Masca) president Datuk Michael Wong’s claim that there was government interference in deciding sports selected for the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games this September. — Bernama