OCM proposes new selection system for athletes to Thailand Sea Games

KUALA LUMPUR - The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) is currently in the proposal stage to provide a new system for the selection of athletes to the 2025 Thailand Sea Games.

OCM secretary-general Datuk Mohd Nazifuddin Najib said the system would see only the truly best athletes listed to compete in the biennial games.

"This week we have met the sports association and we see that it is better to have one qualifying criteria for each sport. Compared to before where we use a qualification system where there is category A and category B.

"So we want each association to discuss and get criteria for Sea Games that they feel they are the best in terms of merit and athlete performance. So we will bring this matter to the next committee discussion," he said when met at the 210th OCM Executive Council Meeting at Wisma OCM today.

Elaborating on the proposal, Nazifuddin believed that the system was actually already used by several developing countries in Southeast Asia such as Singapore.

In fact, he said the system is also seen as more transparent when athletes' achievements will be measured based on the current tournament they participated in a few months before the biennial games.

"In the old system, we have old records and these records are too old and not up-to-date so we need up-to-date achievements.

"When there are qualifying criteria, we will see their nearest tournament before the Sea Games which is approved by the governing body of the world and Asian sports associations. So we want to go towards transparency and more detail so that athletes know their own achievements and what they have to face," he said.

Therefore, Nazifuddin requested that the NSA present the eligibility criteria for athletes to the Sea Games at the latest at the end of this year to be taken for the athlete selection meeting early next year. - BERNAMA