Malaysiaâs deaf athletes received a rallying boost to their confidence today as Youth and Sports Minister YB Hannah Yeoh officially handed over the Jalur Gemilang to the national contingent bound for the 2nd Southeast Asia (SEA) Deaf Games 2025, which begins in Jakarta, Indonesia on Wednesday.
The ceremony, held at the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Putrajaya, saw YB Hannah presenting the national flag to Chef de Mission Tuan Sarkunan A/L Balakrisnan and flag bearer, national long and triple jump athlete Zaiman Megat Abu.
Also present were MSDeaf President (Dr.) Ong Shin Ruenn, athletes, officials, and key stakeholders of the Malaysian contingent, who pledged to give their best in pursuit of the countryâs 16-gold medal target.
Malaysia will be represented by an 80-strong contingent, comprising 53 athletes and 27 officials, making it the second-largest delegation after hosts Indonesia. The team are down compete in all six sports â Futsal, Athletics, Badminton, Tenpin Bowling, Chess, and Table Tennis â with a collective target of 16 gold medals.
Todayâs ceremony also marked the official unveiling of the contingentâs official team attire and jersey, supported by Coneli Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian-based sportswear company specialising in innovative, high-performance athletic apparel and equipment.
In her speech, YB Hannah Yeoh reminded athletes to give their very best at the Games to uphold the dignity and pride of the nation and its people.
âCompete with the highest fighting spirit, give your full commitment and 200 percent effortâŠyou are not only competing for medals, but more importantly, showing that limitations are never a barrier to success while bringing glory to Malaysia,â she said.
She also expressed hope that MSDeaf will continue to unearth new talents from within the deaf community, assuring that the Government will always support initiatives for the development of deaf sports.
âThe RM3 million allocated to MSDeaf for preparations for the SEA Deaf Games 2025 and the Deaflympics in Tokyo this November is a testament to the Governmentâs commitment.
I hope the funds will be utilised with full transparency and in accordance with proper governance,â she added.
Meanwhile, (Dr) Ong Shinn Ruenn expressed his highest gratitude to the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) for its attention and funding support.
âOur deepest gratitude goes to the Government for this historic allocation of substantial funding. The Malaysian contingent will certainly give their very best in both preparations and athlete development ahead of the major championships this year,â he said.
The national contingent are setting their sights on winning gold in the menâs futsal team, badminton, chess, tenpin bowling and athletics. The contingent are targeting the major share of gold medals from athletics (6 gold) and tenpin bowling with five gold medals.
In athletics, Zaiman Megat Abu, gold medallist in the inaugural Games in 2022, and his teammates are expected to deliver a strong medal haul while badminton stars Boon Wei Ying and Foo Zu Tung â winners of gold at the 2022 Deaflympics and SEA Deaf Games â will be looking to continue their winning momentum, alongside mixed doubles pair Edmund Teo and Boon Wei Ying.
Athletes from all six sports have undergone centralised training programmes since last year at various training centres spread across various states in Terengganu, Perlis, Sabah, Selangor, Penang, and Sarawak.
The national contingent depart for Jakarta on 19 August (Tuesday), carrying the hopes of the nation as they look to defend Malaysiaâs crown.
