KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must invest in dedicated sports science support for their athletes to challenge for medals at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, a sports specialist said.
Sports science specialist Dr Ahmad Fazli Ahmad Idris said athletes preparing for the Olympics needed direct access to specialists in sports psychology, recovery and nutrition, rather than treating these areas as secondary to daily training.
"Stop treating sports science as an afterthought," he told sports reporter K. Rajan on the Timesport: On The Beat podcast.
Fazli called on the National Sports Council (NSC) and National Sports Institute (NSI) to assign dedicated personnel to athletes who qualify for LA 2028, with at least a sports psychologist and massage therapist included in their support teams.
"Daily training takes a heavy toll, and proper recovery and nutrition are vital. Invest in these athletes for the next two years," he said.
His call comes after Malaysia matched their best-ever Asian Games gold-medal haul with nine golds at the recent Aichi-Nagoya Games, equalling the 2010 tally in Guangzhou.
Although the contingent surpassed their initial target of six golds, Fazli said Malaysia must do more to close the gap on Asian sporting powerhouses China, Japan and South Korea.
"For me, we did well, but not well enough," he said.
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He said Malaysia's preparations for LA 2028 must form part of a long-term development plan, rather than a short-term push centred on established stars and immediate results.
Fazli said national sports associations should work towards an eight-year development cycle to build a bigger pool of competitive athletes and reduce reliance on individuals.
"Relying on just one person is our core problem; the entire support system is what matters," he said.
He added that athletes needed proper education and financial security so they could focus on training without worrying about their future careers.
He warned that without a structured development programme and consistent support, Malaysia risked repeating past mistakes ahead of LA 2028 instead of building on their Asian Games achievement.
"Athletes need to have a future beyond sports. They need proper education and financial support so they can concentrate on their training.
"If we do not have a proper system in place, we will keep repeating the same mistakes. We need to build on what we have achieved and prepare properly for LA 2028."
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