Malaysia Await Six More Wildcard Tickets For London Olympics

KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 (Bernama) -- The number of athletes to the London Olympics is expected to increase with the prospect of Malaysia being given another six 'wild card' entries.

National Sports Council (NSC) Athletes Division Director Ahmad Shapawi Ismail said the current list comprise 28 athletes who had qualified either on merit or earned wild card entries.

If the six wildcard's are received, the Malaysian contingent to London would comprise 34 athletes, he said.

"The actual number is expected to be known by next week after the respective international sports associations finalise slots awarded to countries under their affiliation," he told Bernama today.

Ahmad Shapawi said the six slots expected are three from swimming, two from athletics and one from weightlifting.

Bernama were made to understand that one of the swimming slots had already been filled by swimmer Christina Loh while the two slots for athletics have been given to women's 400m hurdler Noraseela Mohd Khalid and high jumper Lee Hup Wei.

National women weightlifter Azizah Fadzil is still waiting for a positive reply from the International Weightlifting Federation Malaysia pertaining to an appeal made by the Malaysian Weightlifting Association after the federation had earlier awarded her slot to Vietnam.

Ahmad Shapawi said since most of the athletes are training abroad according to their respective training programmes, the NSC would not organise a centralised training like in the past.

Malaysia has been participating in the Olympic Games since the 1956 Melbourne Olympics in Australia while the country's biggest participation was during the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 when 64 athletes participated.

The Olympics will be officially opened at the London Olympic Stadium on July 27.

List of athletes who qualified for the London Olympics:

Archery: Cheng Chu Sian, Khairul Anuwar Mohamad, Haziq Kamaruddin, Nurul Syafiqah Hashim.

Swimming: Bryan Nickson Lomas, Pandelela Rinong, Yeoh Ken Nee, Cheong Jun Hoong, Huang Qiang, Traisy Vivien Tukiet, Wendy Ng Yan Yee, Leong Mun Yee.

Swimming: Heidi Gan

Badminton - Datuk Lee Chong Wei, Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong, Chan Peng Soon/ Liu Ying, Tee Jing Yee, Vivian Kah/Woon Khe Wei.

Cycling: Mohd Azizulhasni Awang, Fatehah Mustapha, Adiq Hussainie Othman, Amir Mustafa Rusli.

Shooting: Nur Suryani Muhd Taibi

Sailing: Khairul Nizam Mohd Affendy

Fencing: Yu Peng Kean