| Malaysia will
be sending a Contingent of 423 members, comprising 213 male athletes,
94 female athletes, 98 male team officials and 18 female team officials
to the 20th SEA Games, in Brunei Darussalam. Except for Traditianal
Boat Race, the Contingent will be participating in the remaining 20
sports in the programme. The gold medal target set for the Contingent
is 35, from the following sports:
While Athletics will still win the most number of gald medals
in Brunei Darussalam, it is anticipated that there will be a drastic
drop of 9 gold medals when compared to its gold medal tally of 16
at the 1997, Jakarta SEA Games. M. Ramachandran should win his fourth
consecutive double gold medals in the 5,000m. and 10,000m. events.
Loo Kum Zee's 2.19m. in the High Jump will see him win his third consecutive
High Jump gold medal, while Nur Herman Majid should also trio his
fourth consecutive SEA Games gold medal in the 110m. Hurdles event.
Yuan Yu Fang will ensure Malaysia continuous dominance in the Women's
10,000m Walk event, with the possibility of a new record. The Men's
20,000m Walk event and the Men's Hammer will be the 6th and 7th gold
medals from te Athletics Team.
In Swimming, Lim Keng Liat, the 100m. Backstroke gold medal
winner in the 13th Asian Games, is predicted to win gold medals in
both the 100m. aud 200m. Backstroke events in addition the 200 m Butterfly
event which he won in Jakarta two years ago. Elvin Chia is expected
to win at least one of the two Breaststroke event, although a double
from him is not impossible. The 100 m Butterfly event which was won
by Anthony Ang in the last two SEA Games should see him going for
third cousecutive gold medal. The 4 x100m. Medley Relay, which was
won by the Malaysian quartet of Lim Keng Liat, Anthony Ang, Elvin
Chia and Allen Ong, in Jakarta, should see a Malaysian victory being
repeated, possible with a new record.
Although not much are expected from the six young women swimmers in
the team, two swimmers, namely Sin Wai Yen, in the 400m. Individual
Medley event and Cindy Ong in the 50m. Freestyle event, are in the
running for the gold medals, if they strike top form in Brunei, and
show marginal improvements in their times.
Billiards & Snooker is expected to win at least one gold medal
from Sam Chong Tin Sam, either in the Snooker Singles or Doubles events.
Sam Chong partnering Ooi Chin Kay won the gold medal in the Snooker
Doubles event in the 13th' Asian Games, in Bangkok last year.
Lawn Bowls is being competed in the SEA Games for the first
time. Based on the performance of the Malaysian Lawn Bowls teams in
the XVI Commonwealth Games, much is expected from nte seven menand
seven women Lawn Bowlers. The target of four gold medals is well within
their reach. Silver medallist in tire XVI Commonwealth Games, Saedah
Rahim, is favourite to win a gold medal in her event.
Both the Men's and the Women's Hockey teams are expected to
successfully defend their gold medals won in Jakarta two years ago.
The Men's team, which was originally supposed to be the Junior team,
has now been strengthened with a number of senior players such us
Mirnawan Nawawi, A. Kuhan, Chairil Anwar and Kaliswaran. The Women's
team is almost the same team that represented Malaysia in the Kuala
Lumpur 98, XVI Commonwealth Games.
Karate-do was the most successful sport in the 1998 Bangkok
Asian Games, winning two gold medals, through C. Muralitharan and
R. Muniandy. They are expected to rapeat their gold medal efforts
in Brunei Darussalam. Others who are expected to do well are P. Arivalagan
who won gold medal in the Jakarta SEA Games, and Lim Lee Lee in the
Women's Individual Kata event.
Pencak Silat did not win any gold medal in the Jakarta SEA
games is expected to redeem themselves by winning at least three gold
medals. Gold medal prospects in the Wiralaga section are Shuhardi
Chin, Nordin Atan, Azar Ahmad and Ahmad Faisal Omar.
The target of four gold medals from Squash is almost a sure
thing. The Women's team comprising Nicol David, who became the youngest
Junior World Champion in Antwerp over the week-end and Leong Siu Lynn,
the runner-up, will ensure Malaysia winning both the Women's individual
and team gold medals. ln the Men's events, Kenneath Law, the defending
champion of the Jakarta SEA Games two years ago, will have a tough
fight on his hands against fellow Malaysia Ong Beng Hee, to win the
gold medal again. With the addition of Mohd Azlan Iskandar and Yap
Kok Four, winning the gold medal for the Team event should not be
Since sweeping ten gold medals in the 1989 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.
Taekwondo has not lived up to its expectations. For the 20th SEA Games,
it is targeted for one gold medal through defending champion Lee Wan
Yuen. However, the Malaysian Taekwondo Association is confident that
it will achieve more than the one gold target set.
Besides Lee Wan Yuen, other gold medal prospects are Benjamin Raj
Anthony (Men's Fin Weight), S. Sarawanan (Men's Feather Weight), Choo
Yoke Ling (Women's Fin Weight) and Soo Lai Yin (Women's Feather Weight).
With every strong Women's team and relatively strong Men's team, the
target of three gold medals for Tenpin Bowling is on the conservative
side, when compared to the five gold medals won in Jakarta. The outstanding
bowlers who are expected to wln gold medals, either individually or
as members of a team, are Kenny Ang (XVI Commonwealth Games double
gold madallists), Ng Yiew Hup, the Shalin Zulkifli and Lai Kin Ngoh,
(the outstanding bowlers in the XVI Cammonwealth Games), Low Poh Lian,
Sarah Yap and Sharon Low.
Other sports with hopes for gold medals are Badminton, Boxing, Cycling,
Golf, Sepaktakraw and Tennis.
In Badminton, Wang Choon Han and Roslin Hashim are expected
to do well in the Men's Singles event, while the Men's team may surprise
everyone by winning the gold medal in the team event.
In Boxing, the experienced Sapok Biki, nte gold medallist in
the XVI Commonwealth Games, is all fired up to win his first gold
medal in the 48 Kg. Category, in the SEA Games, having won consecutive
silver medals in the Iast two SEA Games. A dark horse is Adnan Yusoh,
the bronze medallist at the XVI Commonwealth Games in 1998, in the
57 Kg. Category. Another Boxer with a chance is B. Muruguthevan in
the 60 Kg. Category.
Cycling is one sport which has always won at least one gold
medal is each SEA Games. With the withdrawal of Nor Effandy Rosli
from the Mass Raod Race, Tsen Seonp Hoong, the silver medallist in
the Jakarta SEA Games, two years ago, is one of the prospects for
a gold medal in the Mass Road Race.
Golf has not done well in the SEA Games. For the 20th' SEA
Games, the best hope for a gold medal is again Lim Ai Lian.
The two gold medals in Sepaktakraw will be a straight fight
between traditional rivals Malaysia and Thailand, with Thailand bring
the favourite to repeat their clean sweep in the 1998 Bangkok Asian
Garnes. However, an upset by the Malaysians cannot be totally ruled
In Tennis, V. Selvam and Khoo Chin Bee are the best hopes to
win gold medals in the Men's Singles and Women's Singles events respectively
and the two partnering each other are also in with a chance for the
gold medal in the Mixed Double event.