Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
BRUNEI is sending two athletes to contest in two sports at the Tokyo Olympics.
This was confirmed during a flag handing over ceremony at the VIP Room, 1st Floor of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas on Saturday morning.
His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah, the president of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council, handed over the national flag to the country’s chef de misson Umi Kalthum Hj Abd Karim.
Sprinter Md Noor Firdaus Ar-Rasyid Hj Idris and swimmer Muhammad Isa Ahmad will be competing in the biggest tournament of their lives at the July 23 – August 8 Olympics.
The Bruneian athletes are competing under universality places which the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) and FINA (International Swimming Federation) have opened to countries with no qualified athletes.
Firdaus will run in the men’s 200m event while Muhammad Isa, who will be the country’s flagbearer, will swim in the men’s 100m breaststroke event.
HRH hopes that the athletes will be able to put up their best performance at the Games and is hopeful that Brunei can qualify on merit in the future.
“I hope that they will show the best discipline and not waste the opportunity which has been given by showcasing their best during the competition in striving to break the national record or personal best,” said HRH in his sabda.
“Furthermore, I would also like to call on all our national athletes to set a target for the future, by proving that they can also qualify for the Olympics without expecting universality places again.
“I hope the national athletes will consider this as a challenge to them,” he added.
This is the third time – in their sixth outing – that the Sultanate is sending more than one athlete to the Games.
HRH calls on sports associations to further develop programmes
Unlike the previous two editions where Brunei sent a female athlete, there will be none this time around.
Maziah Mahusin made history as she became the first female Olympian from the country after competing at the 2012 London Olympics.
Fellow runner Maizurah Rahim followed in footsteps as she contested at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
HRH called on the national sports associations to avoid biasedness and to give equal opportunity to all athletes.
“As with every Olympic Games, only athletics and swimming will be mandatory, provided that athletes must participate or follow tournaments that are recognised by the IAAF and FINA,” said HRH.
“Therefore, the sport associations have to give the opportunity to athletes, who are capable of participating in these competitions, so that our country can have the option in evaluating new athletes to be featured in international tournaments such as the Olympics.
“The sports associations are also urged to ensure that their sports development programmes are able to produce women athletes to be featured not only in the Olympics but also in all regional and international tournaments," he concluded.
This is to adhere to the Olympic Charter 1.8.2 which states “to encourage and support the promotion of women in sports at all structures with a view to implementing the principle of equality of men and women”.
