BUKIT JALIL 12 March 2023 – The Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) announced the formation of the Road to Gold project with the objective of facilitating the nation’s journey to achieve gold at the Olympics. This Committee will be jointly chaired by the Minister of Youth and Sports YB Hannah Yeoh and Tan Sri (Dr.) Norza Zakaria, President of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM). Reflecting on the many structures of previous Olympic Programs and recognising the fact that we are only slightly more than a year away from Paris 2024, this Committee would be providing a long term framework covering Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028. As such, the Gold Paris Committee will now be known as the Road to Gold Committee.
This Committee shall work with the existing Podium Program which focuses on elite athlete preparation program covering daily training, overseas training including domestic and overseas exposure competitions with the services of coaches and support staff, sports science and medicine services and self-building programs. Meanwhile for Paralympic Games, para athetes gold program is on-going under the Podium Program at National Sports Council (MSN) level.
This Road to Gold Committee will enhance the existing Podium Program led by MSN and the National Sports Institute (ISN) by providing Ministerial oversight, making this a “TopUp” Committee focused on removing roadblocks, overcoming current limitations, and providing additional support for our potential medallists. The additional support needed would be tailored specifically for each potential medallist in consultation with the athlete and his or her coach and would include providing ancillary support beyond meeting their physical needs. These needs would be subject to periodic review and reciprocal
commitment from the potential medallists.
This Committee is made up of a combination of administrators and former athletes and are as follows:
Co-chairs:
YB Hannah Yeoh
Tan Sri (Dr.) Norza Zakaria
Datuk Haji Hamidin bin Haji Mohd Amin (FIFA Council Member), Chef de Mission
Datuk Nicol Ann David, Deputy Chef de Mission
Committee members:
Dr. Nagulendran Kangayatkarasu, Secretary-General, Ministry of Youth and Sport
Dato’ Ahmad Shapawi bin Ismail, Director General, National Sports Council (MSN)
Mr. Ahmad Faedzal bin Mohd. Ramli, Chief Executive Officer, National Sports Institute (ISN)
Datuk Ahmad Najmi bin Abdul Razak
Datuk Wira (Dr.) Lee Chong Wei
Dato’ Mirnawan bin Datuk Haji Nawawi
Mr. Stuart Ramalingam (MSN Management Board Member), Project Coordinator
Ms. Michelle Chai, Assistant Project Coordinator
All appointments are on a voluntary basis, being part of a collective nation-building effort. In addition, this Committee will also engage with corporate partners to provide them the opportunity to be a part of this momentous national project.
The role of Chef de Mission and his Deputy would also reflect the nature of this Committee – a combination of administrator and a world-class athlete. Included in this Committee are key-athlete personalities in Datuk Nicol Ann David (Deputy CDM), Datuk Wira (Dr.) Lee Chong Wei and hockey legend Dato’ Mirnawan bin Datuk Haji Nawawi. They have been hand-picked to add invaluable athlete based insights and also a realauthentic connection between the Committee and the selected Road to Gold Athletes.
Mr. Stuart Ramalingam, a current MSN Management Board Member will assume the role of Project Coordinator for this Committee while Ms Michelle Chai, his assistant. Stuart’s background makes him an apt candidate as the role would require being a conduit between all stakeholders in ensuring that the objectives of the committee are met. Both Stuart and Michelle carry with them vast working experience with international sport bodies and agencies.
This Committee’s immediate task would be to identify top-up needs for an acceleration of this mission.
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