THE medal target for the 2025 SEA Games will be based on the total medal count rather than the colour of the medals, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said.
She said this approach aligns with recommendations from experts at Nippon Sports Science University (NSSU) and is a long-standing practice in several countries, including Japan, South Korea, Iran, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
“Setting a gold medal target puts excessive pressure on athletes to deliver their best performance at international sporting events.
“The final medal target will be determined later through a joint discussion between the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS), the National Sports Council (MSN), the National Sports Associations (PSK), and the Olympic Council of Malaysia (MOM), as athlete registrations for the event remain open until September 2025,“ she said during the question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Yeoh was responding to a question from Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden (PN-Alor Setar) regarding Malaysia’s targets and preparations for the biennial event to be held in Thailand, following a reshuffling of events by the host nation.
Hannah said several key sports are expected to contribute significantly to Malaysia’s medal tally at the Games, including diving, track cycling, hockey, archery, shooting, sailing, squash and tenpin bowling.
On the removal of certain events by the host nation, she acknowledged that this would impact Malaysia’s overall medal count, as it includes key disciplines such as diving, cycling, rhythmic gymnastics, e-sports and pencak silat.
“In addition, the introduction of new events will give Thailand, as the host, an advantage by listing competitions that favour their athletes,“ she said.
For the 2025 SEA Games, the organisers have made several adjustments, with 11 events removed and 16 new events added or reinstated. The changes affect multiple sports, including gymnastics, canoeing, cycling, e-sports, pencak silat and judo.
Among the reinstated events are the 20-kilometre race walk and the men’s and women’s 3,000-metres steeplechase, bringing the total number of gold medals in athletics to 47.
However, Yeoh, who is also Segambut MP, assured that preparations are well underway, with 350 athletes under the Podium Programme from 19 sports and 261 national backup athletes from 15 sports currently undergoing intensive training under experienced coaches.
To ensure Malaysia is not caught off guard when key sports are excluded from future SEA Games, Yeoh said that the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) has agreed to standardise the number of sports contested in the next three editions (2025, 2027 and 2029) with those featured in the Olympic Games.
“So, the baseline is that Olympic sports will not be removed, ensuring consistency. However, other events will remain at the discretion of the host nation.
“I am sure that the Olympic Council of Malaysia has been negotiating with the organisers, and some events that were initially removed have now been reinstated following discussions and appeals,” she said.
