OCM to consider national associations requests

Publish Post

Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar.

THE Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) selection committee met yesterday to deliberate the requests of 13 national associations to either be upgraded from Category B to A or for additional athletes to be included.

The 13 sports that had made the requests are men's and women's football, judo, baseball, cycling, fencing, weightlifting, volleyball, triathlon, tennis, taekwondo, lawn bowls, athletics and sailing.

“The selection committee went through all the requests, and we will make the decision tomorrow (today),” said OCM president Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar after chairing the meeting at Wisma OCM.

“We would like to inform the national associations first of whatever decision we may have made.”

FA of Malaysia, represented by Gen (R) Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad, made the request for football to be upgraded from Category B to A on the grounds that they won the recent Merdeka Tournament.
Lawn bowls, tipped to win six gold medals in December's Sea Games, requested for another member to be included.

“The final entry by name will take place on Oct 8 and we should complete all the entries by then,” Tunku Imran added.

He also confirmed that the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have yet to submit their list of players.

“We have given the BAM until Oct 8 to submit their list. Badminton is an important sport for us and we are a key player in the Games with Indonesia.”

BAM will be sending their back-up squad to the Dec 6-15 Games.

Tunku Imran also said that OCM will bid to host the International Masters Games in 2011.

“We were asked by the International Masters Games Federation (IMGF) if we would like to host the 2011 edition since Singapore has withdrawn, and we thought we can have the event in Malaysia.”

The International Masters Games, which is an open age group competition for athletes aged 35 years and above who have to meet their own travelling expenses, board and lodging, involves over 40 countries.

“The cost of organising the event is very minimal, so we will make the bid since we have the facilities and expertise.”

New Straits Times