From Setback To Comeback: NSC Charts Road To Redemption At 2025 SEA Games
In this second of a four-part special report, the focus shifts to the National Sports Council’s director-general’s mission to restore Malaysia’s sporting pride ahead of the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand. He shares his hopes, challenges, and determination to reignite the nation’s glory on the regional stage.
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 (Bernama) -- Defeat is part of every athlete’s journey, but Malaysia’s underwhelming run at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia hit like a tough loss that the nation’s sporting community won’t soon forget.
The missed medal targets and slip in overall ranking weren’t just disappointing stats; they were a wake-up call that Malaysia’s once-strong grip on regional sports supremacy is loosening.
With a seventh-place finish overall and just 34 gold medals — six short of the 40-gold target — the 2023 Games will be remembered as Malaysia’s worst-ever showing in the history of the biennial Games.
Now, the focus shifts to a massive comeback. To reignite the nation’s competitive spark and restore its place among the region’s sporting elite, Malaysia must regroup and rebuild, starting now.
The road ahead leads to even bigger stages: the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Next up is the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand (Dec 9–20) — the next proving ground where Malaysia will look to bounce back, test its mettle, and show that it’s still a force to be reckoned with.
Leading this resurgence is National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Jefri Ngadirin, the man tasked with rebuilding team Malaysia’s confidence and revamping its performance system through sustainable, high-impact sports development.
Since taking office in April, Jefri has met with all national sports associations (NSAs) to tighten coordination and strengthen athlete preparation. His message is clear: Malaysia can and will rebound from the Cambodia setback.
That optimism, he says, stems from the sports lineup in Thailand — featuring many of Malaysia’s traditional powerhouses such as squash, bowling and cycling.
“In Cambodia, many of the events were in traditional or local sports that didn’t play to our strengths. We’re confident that with our best athletes in action this time, we can deliver a stronger medal performance in Thailand,” he told Bernama in an exclusive interview.
For Jefri, the 2025 SEA Games isn’t just about chasing medals — it’s about measuring Malaysia’s progress under a revamped athlete development system and laying the groundwork for when the nation hosts the 2027 SEA Games.
He believes that sending a larger, better-prepared contingent to Thailand will not only boost the medal tally but also reignite national pride and momentum ahead of hosting duties in two years.
“This is a two-pronged strategy to deliver a strong performance in Thailand while setting the stage for success when we host the Games,” he said.
At the previous edition, Vietnam emerged overall champion with 136 gold, 105 silver and 114 bronze medals, followed by Thailand (108-95-108) and Indonesia (85-81-109).
Hosts Cambodia finished fourth with 81-74-126, the Philippines fifth (58-86-116), and Singapore sixth (51-42-64).
Malaysia’s 34 gold, 45 silver, and 97 bronze marked a dip from the 39-45-90 haul achieved at the 2021 Games in Hanoi.
The 2025 SEA Games will unfold across Bangkok, Chonburi and Songkhla provinces, featuring 54 sports and 574 events — and for Team Malaysia, it’s more than a competition. It’s a shot at redemption.
-- BERNAMA
