Malaysia Can Send Nine More Athletes To Rio Olympic Games

KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 (Bernama) - The Malaysian contingent can send nine more athletes in four sports to the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in Brazil. The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) said the nine athletes who can fill the slots are in golf, swimming, archery and athletics. "Golf offers four slots comprising two for male and two female, swimming two slots, archery two male and athletics offer one female," the OCM said in a statement, Sunday. The OCM selection committee will hold a meeting on Monday to finalise the number of athletes who qualified for 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. A total of 22 athletes have qualified on merit namely Khairul Anuar Mohamad (archery), Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and Fatehah Mustapa (cycling), Ooi Tze Liang, Cheong Joon Hong, Nur Dhabitah Sabri, Pandelela Rinong and Wendy Ng Yan Yee (diving). Khairulnizam Mohd Affendy and Nur Shazrin Latiff (sailing) Johnathan Wong Guanjie (shooting), Welson Sim (swimming), Nauraj Singh (athletics) and Mohd Hafifi Mansor (weightlifting). The others are Lee Chong Wei, Goh V Shem, Tan Wee Kiong, Chan Peng Soon, Goh Liu Ying, Tee Jing Yi, Vivian Hoo and Woon Khe Wei (badminton). Malaysia first participated in the 1956 Olympic Games. The first medal only came in 1992 when doubles Razif-Jalani Sidek won the bronze medal in Barcelona. Badminton was the only contributor until diver Pandelela Rinong won the bronze medal at 2012 London Olympic games. Malaysia's best achievement was when the Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock won the silver medal at 1996 Atlanta Games and Chong Wei won the silver medal at 2008 Beijing Games and 2012 London Games. The Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games is from Aug 5-21. --BERNAMA