SEA Games gold medalists awarded for achievements

KUALA LUMPUR: Twenty-nine individuals and five teams have been recognised for their outstanding achievements at the recent 28th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games 2015 in Singapore.
These gold medalists today received the 6th Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM)-Sports Toto Outstanding Athletes of the Games Awards 2015.
Recipients included Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh (archery), Ooi Tze Liang (diving) and Muhammad Rafiq Ismail (tenpin bowling), who won three gold medals each, as well as sisters Farah Ann (gymnastics) and Katrina Ann Abdul Hadi (synchronised swimming).
The athletes won their gold medals in badminton, swimming, diving, archery, athletics, gymnastic, equestia, billiard and snooker, bowling, cycling, petanque, sailing, squash, water ski, pencak silat and wushu.
The five teams won in basketball, hockey, sepak takraw and wushu events.
Sports Toto Malaysia donated a total of RM43,900 to the athletes and a further RM6,100 to OCM for its effort in supporting local sporting talent.
Its communications manager Giam Say Khoon said he was excited to see the recent Games produced 29 gold medalists and five team champions.
"We hope the gesture of appreciation from Sports Toto will serve as motivation to our national athletes to excel not just in Southeast Asia, but also in the international arena," he said at the award presentation ceremony at the OCM headquarters here today.
OCM president Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar said the country is targeting 111 gold medals in the next SEA Games 2017 which will be hosted by Malaysia.
"We got it in 2001 (the last time Malaysia hosted), why can't we get it in 2017? It is definitely realistic.
"There are performances in many sports that we excelled that were not in Singapore, and the performances by some of our young athletes in Singapore (shows that) we are going to be even better," he added.
The Malaysian contingent at the Singapore SEA Games bagged 62 out of 402 gold medals, registering their best SEA Games performance outside the country, exceeding the 48 gold medals target set by the National Sports Council.
The award scheme was first introduced in 1995, with Sports Toto taking over in 2010, and have rewarded Malaysian athletes in four major Games under the authority of OCM, namely the Olympic Games, Asian Games, the Commonwealth and SEA Games.