AMIDST all the hype surrounding Malaysia's chances of bagging its first ever gold medal at the Olympics this year, Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar has reminded the public to be mindful of the bigger picture in the country's involvement at the London Games.
Tunku Imran, while acknowledging that badminton and cycling did offer the country a good shot at a gold medal, however said that the spirit of competition and providing exposure to younger athletes was what mattered most."We have some very good track cyclists, which includes Azizul (Hasni Awang), who has a very good chance of winning a medal, hopefully the gold, and also Josiah (Ng) who has won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games," said Tunku Imran, when met at the launch of the 7th Nestle Koko Krunch Junior Taekwondo Championships at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
"We also have some very good divers such as Pandelela Rinong, who might find it difficult to win gold with China in the competition, though other medals are possible.
"Our archers, though not considered favourites, also have an outside shot, and if they do make the final or win a medal, would have done very well.
"From the point of view of the OCM, however, it is not so much the medals that is the aim, but rather to ensure our athletes perform to the best of their abilities at the championships.
"It is also for the younger ones to learn from their experience at the Olympics and perhaps next time around can win medals for the country."
Tunku Imran, who is also Taekwondo Malaysia (TM) president, said programmes such as the Nestle Koko Krunch Junior Taekwondo Championship played a vital role in developing athletes to represent Malaysia at world-class events such as the Olympics.
"This is exactly what taekwondo, all sports for that matter, desperately need at the grassroots level which is regular competitive exposure," he said.
The tournament will this year feature four legs compared to three last year.
The seven to 12 age group tournament, which is expected to attract more than 1,800 competitors, will kick off in Penang on March 3 to be followed by Johor (April 1), Terengganu (May 5) and will culminate in the grand final in Kuala Lumpur on May 20.
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