Kuala lumpur: The National Sports Council (NSC) has announced its intention to send Malaysia’s strongest contingent to the 2025 Thailand SEA Games. NSC director-general Jefri Ngadirin emphasized that fielding top athletes is part of a strategic move to prepare for the 2027 SEA Games, which Malaysia will host.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Jefri highlighted that Malaysia’s approach to the upcoming games is informed by experience gained in previous SEA Games. In the 2022 Vietnam SEA Games, Malaysia sent 52 percent young athletes, many of whom gained further experience in Cambodia. The 2025 games will mark their third outing, positioning them as seasoned competitors.

Jefri also noted that discussions with sports associations were held before finalizing the athletes’ list for submission to the Olympic Council of Malaysia. The submission deadline was September 1. He expressed confidence that associations like badminton and bowling, which recently participated in World Championships, will send their best athletes to the SEA Games.

On the topic of medal prospects, Jefri pointed out that Malaysia’s chances are improved compared to the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games, which included many local traditional sports unfamiliar to the Malaysian contingent. In contrast, the Thailand games will feature Olympic and Asian-level sports such as squash, lawn bowls, and bowling, which are strengths for Malaysia.

The 2025 Thailand SEA Games are scheduled to take place from December 9 to 20.