BANGKOK, Dec 8 — Two years ago, a dark chapter loomed over the national contingent when Malaysia recorded its worst-ever performance in the history of its participation in the SEA Games.

At the 2023 edition in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the Malaysian contingent, comprising 676 athletes, brought home only 34 gold, 45 silver and 97 bronze medals, finishing seventh overall. It was a deeply disappointing outcome for Malaysia since the biennial sporting event was first introduced in 1959.

Now in Thailand, new opportunities and challenges await as more than 1,100 athletes, supported by over 500 officials, set out to redeem the setback and restore the nation’s sporting pride that was tarnished in Cambodia.

Malaysia, which will compete in all 50 events contested at the 33rd edition of the biennial Games held here and in Chonburi, returns with renewed enthusiasm and a mission to secure 200 medals of any colour at the 2025 SEA Games Thailand.

Although meeting this target would mark Malaysia’s highest medal tally in 18 years, since the 216 medals achieved at the 2007 Korat Games, one question continues to linger among local sports fans — how many gold medals can Malaysia deliver at this SEA Games, which will officially open tomorrow at the Rajamangala National Stadium and conclude on December 20.

The spotlight will undoubtedly fall on badminton, which will feature a star-studded lineup including 2022 men’s doubles world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, 2025 mixed doubles world champions Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, and 2025 World Championship women’s doubles runners-up Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah.

These shuttlers are expected to spearhead the Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) bid to secure three of the four gold medals targeted in Thailand, in addition to the men’s team event. This would also help redeem their lacklustre outing in Phnom Penh, where the squad failed to deliver a single gold medal and returned home with only two silver and four bronze.

However, the national shuttlers cannot afford to underestimate the challenge from other countries, particularly regional powerhouse Indonesia, whose men’s doubles lineup includes world No. 8 pair Sabar Karyaman-Moh Reza Isfahani and world No. 20 duo Leo Rolly Carnando-Bagas Maulana. Both pairs are seen as strong contenders capable of threatening Malaysia’s world No. 2 pair, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and world No. 5 duo, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, in the race for gold.

Refusing to disappoint their home supporters, Thailand is also pulling out all the stops, fielding the country’s strongest line-up in a bid to sweep the seven gold medals on offer in badminton. Much of Thailand’s hopes rest on world No. 4 mixed doubles pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran, who are expected to pose a major threat to Malaysia’s Tang Jie-Ee Wei.

Meanwhile, Malaysian football fans are not only yearning for the sport’s most coveted medal — last won at the 2011 edition in Indonesia — but also hoping that success on Thai soil will help ‘heal’ the wounds left by the forged-document scandal involving seven national heritage players earlier this year.

Mohd Nafuzi Zain’s players have already issued an early warning to their rivals by kicking off their Group B campaign in style with a 4-1 thrashing of Laos. A draw against three-time gold medallists Vietnam on Dec 10 was enough to secure automatic qualification for the semi-finals as group winners.

The last-minute withdrawal of defending women’s 400 metres champion Shereen Samson Vallabouy due to a hamstring injury, along with the absence of national sprinter Muhammad Azeem Fahmi, who is tied to academic commitments in the United States, has dealt a major blow to the national athletics squad. These setbacks come as the team seeks to improve on their previous outing in Phnom Penh, where they returned with five gold, nine silver and seven bronze medals.

The squad will now pin their hopes on established performers such as men’s discus thrower and six-time consecutive gold medallist Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin, Andre Anura Anuar (men’s triple jump), Grace Wong (women’s hammer) and Umar Osman (men’s 400m). Beyond these mainstays, they will also be counting on breakthroughs from other athletes, especially with half of the 48-member squad comprising new faces.

The reinstatement of sports such as bowling, squash and track cycling at the SEA Games is a welcome boost for the national contingent, who must now capitalise on these opportunities to strengthen their gold medal haul in Thailand.

The Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) has fielded eight players, including four world champions, Muhammad Rafiq Ismail, Tun Hakim Tun Hasnul Azam, Sin Li Jane and Natasha Roslan, underscoring their determination to restore Malaysia’s dominance in the sport. This comes after the national team, represented by a reserve squad, managed only two silver and four bronze medals the last time bowling was contested at the 2021 edition.

Malaysia’s formidable standing in squash gives the national squad a strong advantage to sweep all four gold medals on offer this time, particularly through top seed and world No. 67 Sanjay Jeeva in the men’s singles and world No. 60 Noor Ainaa Amani Ampandi in the women’s singles. Squash returns to the SEA Games programme after last being contested at the 2019 edition in the Philippines.

Despite the absence of track cycling ace Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom due to a knee injury, Malaysia’s hopes in the men’s keirin now rest on the shoulders of his younger brother, Muhammad Ridwan, who is expected to spearhead the nation’s bid for gold.

Muhammad Ridwan is expected to face a stern test as he goes up against Thailand’s Jai Angsuthasawit, who clinched the gold medal at the 2025 Asian Track Cup in Suphanburi last August. Ridwan is also scheduled to feature in the team sprint event alongside Muhammad Fadhil Zonis and Mohd Akmal Nazimi Jusena.

While Malaysia is expected to maintain its dominance in both the men’s and women’s field hockey events, indoor hockey is shaping up to be a more intense contest. The men’s squad is on a mission to wrest the gold from Indonesia, whereas the women’s squad will be aiming to reclaim the title after being denied by Thailand two years ago.

The national men’s squad, which finished as runners-up at the 2024 Men’s FIH Hockey5s World Cup, will enter the competition as the leading favourites to clinch gold in the 5s event, which is being contested for the first time at the SEA Games. Meanwhile, a challenging road lies ahead for the women’s team, who must overcome Thailand’s strength if they hope to deliver a golden performance.

The national diving squad’s long-standing dominance at the SEA Games will be tested by the emergence of Singaporean divers, who are expected to pose a serious threat to Malaysia’s quest to maintain its golden streak in Thailand.

With diving queens Pandelela Rinong and Nur Dhabitah Sabri absent, the responsibility of leading the predominantly young squad once again falls on experienced diver Muhammad Syafiq Puteh. He will guide a lineup featuring newcomers Nurqayyum Nazmi Mohamad Nazim, Yong Rui Jie, Elvis Priestly Clement, Nur Eilisha Rania Abrar Raj and Nurul Farisya Alia Affendi, as Malaysia sets its sights on sweeping all four gold medals on offer.

Judging by the national swimmers’ performances this year, only Khiew Hoe Yean has truly stood out, having secured a bronze medal in the men’s 400m freestyle at the 2025 Asian Aquatics Championships in Ahmedabad, India. The 23-year-old’s strong form has raised expectations that he will deliver a gold medal for the country.

The national sepak takraw squad’s mission to meet the two-gold target set by the Malaysian Sepak Takraw Federation is expected to be a challenging one, especially as they will face fierce resistance — backed by strong home support — from the hosts, who are renowned for their dominance in the traditional sport.

The achievement of securing two bronze medals at the 2025 Asian Archery Championships in Dhaka, Bangladesh, last month, through experienced compound archer Mohd Juwaidi Mazuki and the women’s recurve trio of Ku Nurin Afiqah Ku Ruzaini, Ariana Nur Diana Zairi and Joey Tan, is hoped to serve as a valuable boost for them and the rest of the squad as they aim for greater precision in their quest for SEA Games gold.

Meanwhile, the prowess of karate exponent C. Shahmalarani and national wushu queen Tan Cheong Min is expected to draw significant attention from Malaysian supporters.

Shahmalarani, who recently claimed silver at the World Championships in Cairo, will need to carry that momentum into Thailand as she chases a hat-trick of SEA Games gold medals in the women’s under-50 kilogramme kumite event.

Although Cheong Min remains Malaysia’s brightest hope in wushu, she is still expected to face stiff competition following the organisers’ decision to merge the Nanquan, Nandao and Nangun events into a single individual event — a move that is likely to intensify the battle for gold.

Armed with the success achieved at the 2023 SEA Games, the national silat team returns to repeat the four-gold feat delivered by the Malaysian National Silat Federation (PESAKA), positioning themselves once again as one of the contingents capable of bringing smiles to Malaysia.

Hopes also rest on other sports, including weightlifting, shooting, equestrian, golf, gymnastics, cricket, snooker and e-sports, to help elevate Malaysia back to being one of the respected contingents at the SEA Games, providing strong motivation for the nation to roar even louder when it hosts the 2027 edition.

Tomorrow, the SEA Games battle cry will resound once again, and to the entire national contingent in Thailand, kor hai chok dee (all the best)! — Bernama