PUTRAJAYA – Several top athletes, including members of the badminton squad, will not participate in the Malaysian contingent’s parade for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, scheduled to take place at the Seine River on Friday.
Speaking to Scoop, Akademi Badminton Malaysia coaching director Rexy Mainaky briefly confirmed the news but did not provide further comments.
Due to the tight schedule of badminton events at the Paris Olympics, several Malaysian representatives will begin their campaign on July 27, just a day after the opening ceremony.
In mixed doubles, Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei will face Singapore’s Terry Hee and Jessica Tan in Group D.
In women’s doubles, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah will kick off their campaign in Group A, also known as the “group of death”, against the world number one pair, Chen Qingchen and Jia Yi Fan.
Additionally, other national medal hopefuls, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, will compete against Great Britain’s Ben Lane and Sean Vendy on the same day at Porte de La Chapelle Arena.
Earlier, the women’s archery team of Ariana Nur Dania Mohamad Zairi, Nurul Azreena Mohamad Fazil, and Syaqiera Mashayikh also announced that they would not be able to participate in the opening ceremony due to their qualifying recurve event, which begins early on July 24 at Esplanade des Invalides.
According to a source close to the contingent, only a few athletes will participate in the parade, which consists of sailors, divers, golfers, and several sports officials.
Sprint sensation Muhammad Azeem Fahmi, who is set to make his Olympic debut, will also miss the opening ceremony as he will only depart for Paris on July 28.
For the cycling squad, Nur Aisyah Zubir, competing in road cycling, will fly to Paris on July 30 from the central training camp in Brussels.
Meanwhile, the track cycling squad, consisting of Datuk Azizulhasni Awang, Shah Firdaus Sahrom, and Nurul Izzah Izzati Asri, will join the Malaysian contingent on August 1, departing from Majorca, Spain.
For this edition of the Olympics, sailors Nur Shazrin Mohamad Latiff and diver Bertrand Rhodict Lises have been entrusted with carrying the Malaysian flag during the opening ceremony.
Athletes and officials attending this Friday’s opening ceremony will showcase Malaysian-themed attire designed by renowned designer Rizman Ruzaini. – July 23, 2024