KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) is highly confident that more athletes will qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
OCM president Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar said as the qualification rounds for certain games had only just begun, athletes of some disciplines stood a chance for qualification.
Citing examples like hockey, cycling and badminton, he said, some athletes were in the midst of fighting for their berths in the Olympics.
"These disciplines have great potential in bringing the medals for the country, and I hope they (athletes) are ready to shine at the international level," Tunku Imran told reporters after launching the Samsung Torchbearers selection programme at the OCM building today.
Currently, only five national athletes have qualified for the Beijing Olympics 2008. They are Roslinda Samsu (athletics), Daniel Bego (swimming), Bryan Nickson Lomas (diving) and two archers, Muhammad Marbawi Sulaiman and Cheng Chu Sian.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, 26 athletes qualified for the games. Their disciplines comprised archery, athletics, diving, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, cycling, shooting, yatching, badminton, taekwondo and weightlifting.
On Malaysia's selection as one of 20 countries for the Olympic torch relay, Tunku Imran described it as an honour.
"OCM is delighted that a corporate body like Samsung is committed to bringing 80 people from different walks of life in Malaysia, to participate and be part of the Olympics tradition," he said.
Beginning today until November, Samsung and OCM will select the 80, based on their essay bearing the theme, "Pushing the Limits for a Better Life".
The Olympics torch relay will travel through 23 cities in 20 nations and will be in Kuala Lumpur on April 21 next year.
-- BERNAMA
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