
OCM shortlists Chef de Mission for SEA Games in Thailand
OCM president Tan Sri Mohd Norza Zakaria said he would be meeting Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh today to discuss the matter before a final decision is made.
'The issue now concerns logistics, as we know the SEA Games will be held in three locations — Songkhla, Chonburi and Bangkok. So I think we will discuss appointing one CDM and a few deputies.
'We will look at three or four personalities, and it will be a combination of an OCM administrator, a former athlete and representatives from the NSAs (National Sports Associations),' he said when met yesterday.
Previously, the National Sports Council (NSC) had urged OCM to expedite the appointment of the CDM, Deputy CDMs and team managers for the Thailand SEA Games.
NSC director-general Jefri Ngadirin explained that early appointments are crucial to ensure planning and coordination can be carried out in a more organised manner, especially with NSAs and other stakeholders.
Norza also hinted that a new design may be used for the national contingent's official attire at the biennial Games.
According to him, OCM will sit down with the NSC to discuss a suitable outfit design for the national contingent.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
13 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Pekan: Focus on development, field fresh faces at the Sea Games
KUALA LUMPUR: Sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli hopes Malaysia Aquatics (MAS) will be brave enough to field a new generation of divers at the Thailand Sea Games (Dec 9-20). Pekan praised MAS and the National Sports Council (NSC) for introducing a blueprint (2024-2028) to revive Malaysia diving, which results-wise has been in decline in recent years. He, however, stressed that they must fully focus on developing the next generation of divers and avoid falling back on senior divers to produce short-term results for them. "The Thailand Sea Games will give us a good indication of how far we have progressed over the last two years in terms of development," said Pekan recently. "It is not just about results, it will be a good opportunity to show everyone the new faces we have and give these young divers a chance to gain valuable experience. "There may be people who feel that our senior divers can still contribute, however, if you allow them to compete at the Sea Games, you will be taking away a slot from the younger ones whom we are hoping to excel in bigger competitions over the next few years. "Though experience is important, it is not everything in diving. "In diving, athletes tend to peak at a younger age, typically from their mid to late teens when they are less injury-prone and have greater flexibility. "We should not be depending on seniors such as Pandelela Rinong to be winning medals for us anymore. She has already given us so much over the years and has nothing left to prove. We must thank her for her contributions." Pandelela, a two-time Olympic medallist, was forced to withdraw from women's 10m platform synchronised (with Lee Yiat Qing) due to a shoulder injury at the Singapore World Championships last week and subsequently sat out the 10m platform individual. Elvis Clement-Enrique Harold achieved a best-ever seventh-place finish for Malaysia in the men's 10m platform synchronised final but it was otherwise a quiet outing for the national diving squad in Singapore. MAS and NSC had come up with the 2024-2028 blueprint early last year in a bid to revive Malaysian diving. Under the blueprint, a fast track programme to develop young divers was set up while previously dormant states have also been given the support to revive their programmes. Coaching education has also been boosted to produce more qualified coaches in the country. A total of four gold medals will be on offer in diving at the Thailand Sea Games in the men's 3 metre springboard individual and synchronised, men's 1m springboard individual as well as the women's platform synchronised. MAS had sent senior divers to the 2019 Manila Sea Games, where Malaysia swept all four gold, and the Hanoi Sea Games, where they swept all eight gold. Second-tier and junior divers were sent to represent the country at the 2023 Phnom Penh games where Malaysia won all four gold on offer. The Thailand Sea Games will be the first edition of the Sea Games since the new MAS committee took office in the second half of 2023.


New Straits Times
16 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Teenage kicks: McIntosh, 12-year-old Yu set to rule the pool at LA 2028
SINGAPORE: The Los Angeles Olympics are three years away, but Summer McIntosh showed at the swimming world championships why she will be one of the stars of the Games while 12-year-old Yu Zidi is shaping up to be a major threat. The United States also demonstrated that tales of their demise were exaggerated as teams embarked on the long road to the LA 2028 at the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore over the past week. Canada ended the world championships on Sunday with four gold medals, all won by the 18-year-old phenomenon McIntosh. Yet it was the one that got away that rankled with the teenager, having been forced to settle for bronze in the 800m freestyle which American great Katie Ledecky won for a seventh time. It meant that three-time Paris Olympics gold medallist McIntosh fell just short of matching Michael Phelps's feat of five individual titles at a single world championships. "I think it's just going to keep me hungry and push, and keep moving forward," said McIntosh. "Even if I were to get five golds, I would still want more. That's just my mentality." McIntosh broke three world records in a matter of days at the Canadian trials in June and then powered to gold in the 200m and 400m individual medleys, 400m freestyle and 200m butterfly in Singapore. Chinese schoolgirl Yu became the youngest medallist in world championships history, taking home a relay bronze. Racing against McIntosh, Yu narrowly missed out on an individual medal by finishing fourth in each of her events – the 400m medley, 200m butterfly and 200m medley where she touched just 0.06 seconds from a bronze medal. Already her rivals are predicting Yu will be a major force at the 2028 Olympics. Canada's Mary-Sophie Harvey, who held off Yu for bronze in the 200m medley, said: "I think going into LA we're probably going to see her a lot more." American Alex Walsh, who took silver, said Yu was "phenomenally talented at such a young age." But there are also concerns about the physical and mental toll on someone so young. "Now she's gonna have a lot of pressure," said Harvey. The United States, who will be under huge pressure to deliver in the pool at their home Games, endured a turbulent time in Singapore. Most of the squad had to battle acute gastroenteritis following a pre-competition camp in Thailand. That led to stinging criticism from Phelps and fellow Olympic swimming great Ryan Lochte, with wider concerns about the management of the team in and out of the pool. Lochte shared an image on Instagram depicting a funeral that featured a tombstone inscribed: "In loving memory of United States Swimming." "They set the bar high – until they stopped reaching for it," the inscription said, with Lochte adding the caption: "Call it a funeral or call it a fresh start. We've got 3 years." The slight did not go down well in Singapore, with three-time Olympic gold medallist Bobby Finke among the American swimmers biting back. "There's just so much stupid stuff that's getting said," said Finke. The United States set two relay world records in Singapore and topped the final medals table with nine golds, one ahead of Australia. Third were France, with Leon Marchand blowing off the post-Paris Olympics cobwebs to smash Lochte's 200m individual medley world record from 2011. The 23-year-old Marchand, the face of the Paris Games with four individual golds, also romped to victory in the 400m medley. "It's not perfect, because it's never perfect, but it's more than I expected, especially the world record in the 200m medley," he said.


The Star
18 hours ago
- The Star
Athletics-Coleman defends Richardson after reported arrest
FILE PHOTO: Jul 31, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Sha'Carri Richardson places second in women's 100m heat in 11.07 during the USATF Championships at Hayward Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images/File Photo (Reuters) -Christian Coleman defended fellow sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson after she was reportedly arrested for pushing Coleman, saying on Sunday that she was a "great person". Reigning 100 metres world champion Richardson was arrested for domestic violence at a Seattle airport ahead of the U.S. Track & Field Championships, USA TODAY Sports reported on Friday. According to a police report obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the 25-year-old, who won Olympic silver in the 100 at the Paris Games, allegedly pushed Coleman, who then fell into a nearby column after an argument. Richardson was detained on the evening of July 27 and released the following day, USA TODAY Sports reported. "For me personally, I feel like it was a sucky situation all round. I don't feel like she should have been arrested. I mean people have discussions and emotions and stuff like that," 2019 world 100m champion Coleman told reporters at the Championships in Eugene, Oregon. "She has things that she needs to work on for herself, of course. So do I, so do you, so does everybody. But I'm the type of guy who's in the business of extending grace, and mercy and love... "She's a human being and a great person. To me she's the best female athlete in the world. I see it every day." Port of Seattle Police Department and Richardson's agent did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. Richardson withdrew from the 100 semi-finals in Eugene, Oregon on Friday after participating in Thursday's heats, before failing to qualify for the 200m final on Sunday. She is guaranteed a spot in the 100 at the world championships in Tokyo next month due to her win at Budapest in 2023. (Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)