OCM Wants Names Of Team Managers For SEA Games By Month End

KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Bernama) -- The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) wants the National Sports Associations (NSAs) to name their team managers for the Korat SEA Games in Thailand by end of this month.

SEA Games chef-de-mission Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad said the respective sports associations had been asked to submit names of their team managers by July 31 to help the OCM in the task ahead.

"Since we are taking part in 40 out of 43 sports contested and Malaysia will be sending a big contingent, we have to plan well in advance," he said today.

The OCM had submitted an initial list of 1,170 athletes and officials for the Korat SEA Games before the deadline for `entry by numbers' on July 8.

However, the final figure may not be 1,170 when the OCM submits the `entry by names' before the Oct 8 deadline.

On the preparations for the Games, to be held from Dec 6 to 15, Zainal said that since the athletes had been training locally and in foreign countries, all that needed to be done now was to boost their morale through the psychological approach.

"My aim is to give them the psychological edge when they go into competition as they have already been training very hard for the event. I also want to emphasise discipline and dedication.

"Being national athletes, they should display a high level of discipline and be aware of their responsibilities to the country. On our part, we need to give them moral support and motivation to boost their level of concentration to win medals," he said.

Zainal said he would start his rounds of the respective sports soon to see the athletes in training and listen to their views on their preparations for the Games.

As for targets, Zainal feels that the Malaysian contingent should perform better than in the 2005 Manila SEA Games.

Malaysia finished fourth in Manila with 61 gold, 49 silver and 60 bronze medals.

-- BERNAMA