Kuala lumpur: Setting specific gold medal targets as key performance indicators (KPIs) for the national contingent and athletes at major sporting events will remain the National Sports Council's (NSC) approach. NSC director-general Jefri Ngadirin confirmed that the top management of the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) and NSC have agreed to maintain this approach, which was reinstated at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games last August and will continue at the upcoming 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, starting on September 19.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Jefri stated, "So far, the top management of KBS and NSC have decided that we will set gold medal targets at all major Games. Next year, we will host the SEA Games, where we have announced our target of becoming overall champions, while for the ASEAN Para Games, we are targeting second place. So, the targets will remain," he told reporters after the Handover Ceremony of the Jalur Gemilang to the Malaysian contingent for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian and Para Asian Games.

Malaysia's Chef de Mission to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Datuk Mohd Sumali Reduan, has outlined a specific target of six gold, seven silver, and 20 bronze medals for the Games. This strategy marks a return to setting precise medal targets, differing from the approach taken at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, where the Malaysian contingent aimed for an overall count of 27 medals without specifying targets by medal color. The shift back to setting detailed targets was initiated at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.