Athletes Must Prove Their Promise on the Field

Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Ministry says its confidence in Datuk Azizulhasni Awang remains intact, but insists that Olympic ambitions must be demonstrated in competition rather than left as words and dreams.

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We have confidence in all our athletes because when we set targets, they are based on confidence, so there is no point having a Road to Gold program if we ourselves do not believe.

Youth and Sports Minister Mohammed Taufiq Johari said confidence in national athletes forms the basis of every target set by the ministry, including those in the Road to Gold program. He said the ministry could not set ambitious goals without believing that athletes had the ability to achieve them.

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However, that confidence cannot come merely from words and dreams because it must be proven through implementation and comprehensive performances.

At the same time, Taufiq rejected the idea that Azizulhasni alone carries Malaysia’s hopes of winning its first Olympic gold medal. Every athlete being prepared for Los Angeles 2028 has a chance to represent the country, he said, and will be assessed according to individual ability.

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I do not want only one athlete to be the one I have confidence in, because the confidence and hope we place are in all athletes.

Taufiq said the decision to let the 38-year-old cyclist continue his LA28 campaign followed an assessment of available data and facts. The judgment, he said, was not emotional. If the data showed an objective was impossible, the ministry would say so. If it showed a possibility, the ministry would proceed with confidence.

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We make decisions not based on emotion but on data and facts after careful consideration, and I am very objective about this.