Sukan Malaysia

Sukan Malaysia atau dengan ringkasnya SUKMA adalah satu acara kebangsaan di bawah anjuran Majlis Sukan Negara Malaysia dan Majlis-Majlis Sukan Negeri serta Majlis Sukan Sekolah-Sekolah Malaysia (MSSM), Majlis Sukan Universiti Malaysia dan Majlis Sukan Polis DiRaja Malaysia. 

SUKMA adalah merupakan kejohanan 'beraneka sukan' (multi-sports competition) dan berkonsepkan 'Mini Sukan Olimpik' di Malaysia yang melibatkan atlet remaja. SUKMA diadakan secara dwi tahunan dan berselang seli dengan Sukan SEA. Sukan Malaysia yang pertama telah diadakan pada tahun 1986 di Kuala Lumpur.

OBJEKTIF SUKMA

Temasya Sukan Malaysia adalah merupakan sukan yang berprestij, yang mencungkil bakat atlet-atlet remaja di peringkat negeri dan daerah menggalakkan penglibatan secara total dalam sukan yang dipertandingkan.

• Untuk mempertingkatkan mutu sukan dan menggalakkan pertumbuhan bilangan penyertaan di peringkat negeri dan daerah terutama dalam sukan-sukan yang diberi keutamaan.

• Menggalakkan dan mempertingkatkan prestasi kepegawaian seperti Jurulatih, Pegawai-Pegawai Teknikal dan Pentadbir-Pentadbir Sukan.

• Menggalakkan pembinaan kemudahan-kemudahan sukan yang baru serta membaikpulih kemudahan-kemudahan yang sedia ada di peringkat negeri dan daerah.

• Menjadi asas pemilihan atlet-atlet bagi mewakili negara ke peringkat Antarabangsa di masa hadapan.

• Menjadikan sebagai usaha meningkatkan integrasi nasional di kalangan masyarakat Malaysia.

SUKMA I diadakan dari 9 hb sehingga 16 hb April 1986.Tuan rumah SUKMA I merupakan Kuala Lumpur. Seramai 17 kontingen dan 4552 atlet yang menyertai sukan ini.

SUKMA II diadakan dari 9 hb sehingga 12 hb November 1988. Tuan rumah SUKMA II merupakan Kuala Lumpur. Bilangan jenis sukan dalam SUKMA II ialah 18 jenis. Seramai 17 kontijen dan 4995 atlet yang menyerati sukan ini.

SUKMA III diadakan dari 18 hb sehingga 27 hb Julai 1990 Tuan rumah SUKMA III merupakan Sarawak. Seramai 16 jenis kontijen dan 3426 aflet menyertai sukan ini.

SUKMA IV diadakan dari 2 hb sehingga 12 hb,Julai 1992.Tuan rumah SUKMA IV merupakan Johor. Seramai 17 kontingen dan 5151 atlet yang menyertai sukan ini.

SUKMA V diadakan dari 9 hb sehingga 18 hb,Jun 1994. Tuan rumah SUKMA V merupakan Perak. Seramai 17 kontingen dan 5664 atlet yang menyertai sukan ini.

SUKMA VI diadakan dari 1 hb sehingga 10 hb, Jun 1996.Tuan rumah SUKMA VI merupakan Pahang. Seramai 19 kontingen dan 6495 atlet yang menyertai sukan ini.

SUKMA VII diadakan dari 17 hb sehingga 26 hb, April 1998. Tuan rumah SUKMA VII merupakan Selangor. Bilangan jenis sukan dalam SUKMA VII ialah 24 jenis. Seramai 16 kontingen dan 5028 atlet yang menyertai sukan ini.

SUKMA VIII diadakan dari 25 hb Mei sehingga 4 hb Jun 2000. Tuan rumah SUKMA VIII merupakan Pulau Pinang.Seramai 19 kontingen dan 5875 atlet yang menyertai sukan ini.

Majlis Sukan Negara Malaysia telah menggunakan SUKMA V, VI dan VII ini sebagai gelanggang untuk mengenal pasti atlet-atlet muda yang berpotensi untuk diasuh sebagai persiapan Negara untuk menghadapi Sukan Komanwel 1998 di Kuala Lumpur.

SUKMA VIII Tahun 2000 di Pulau Pinang, merupakan system secara 'Bidding' yang terakhir dalam penganjuran SUKMA.

SUKMA IX Tahun 2002 di Negeri Sabah adalah yang pertama dipilih dalam penganjuran SUKMA secara sistem 'Zoning'. Negeri Sabah diletakkan dalam Zon I yang juga mengandungi negeri Sarawak dan Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan.

HISTORY OF THE SEA GAMES

The origins of athletic competition lie in the mists of time when tribal members competed in the everyday skills of survival. The fastest and strongest were lauded, for it was they who ensured the tribe’s continued existence, in times of peace and in times of war.

Certainly, Laung Sukhumanaipradit is hardly a household name, yet as a vice
president of the Olympic Committee, he first floated the idea of a smaller sports event comprising the nations of the Southeast Asian peninsula, during the Third Asian Games held in Tokyo in 1958. At a meeting held on 22 May the same year, representatives from Burma (Myanmar), Laos and Malaysia met with their Thai hosts to explore the possibilities.

There was a certain logic to the idea. The countries of the region had many similarities. Modest of population and on a comparable economic footing, they shared common sports participation as well as roughly equal standards of achievement. Such an event would serve as a stepping stone for Southeast Asian athletes to raise their standards so as to be more competitive when they met more advantaged athletes in the larger arenas of the Asian and Olympic Games.

The meeting resulted in the formation of the Southeast Asian Peninsula (SEAP) Games Federation in June 1959, the founder members being Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam - hence the six interlocked rings which formed the Games logo. The first president of the Federation was General Prabhas Charusatiara of Thailand and Luang Mayapradit was elected vice president with Dr Kalya Israsena taking the role of honorary secretary. Other pioneer members of the committee included Ms U Paing of Burma, His Highness Sisowath Essaro of Cambodia, Mr Nakkhla Souvannong of Laos, Mr Thong Poh Nyen of Malaysia and Mr Bguyen Phuoc Vong of Vietnam.

In deference to their efforts in bringing the whole concept to fruition, Thailand was given the honour of hosting the inaugural SEAP Games in 1959. Formally declared open by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand in Bangkok’s National Stadium, some 800 athletes and officials took part in 12 sporting disciplines: Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Cycling, Football, Tennis, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Volleyball and Weightlifting. The atmosphere of friendly competition added to the whole experience and the SEAP Games were definitely ‘off and running’.

The Federation had already decided that in future "the honour of hosting the SEAP Games shall be entrusted to the member organisation of each country in rotation in alphabetical order". Thus the hosts for the II SEAP Games were the Burmese, and President Win Maung of the Union of Burma inaugurated the 1961 meet at Rangoon. Cambodia did not take part in the inaugural Games but joined the fray in the second Games at Rangoon in 1961 which had a full turnout of the seven countries. Again, more than 800 athletes and officials took part and shared in the friendly ambience of athletic rivalry and social interaction.

The year 1963 saw a hiccup in planning though, as due to unsettling in-country conditions - and a disagreement with the International Amateur Athletic Federation
- the designated hosts Cambodia were not able to host the event. The III SEAP Games then passed to Laos as hosts, but they begged off the 1965 event citing financial difficulties. Fortunately though, Malaysia steeped into the breach which, by right, should have been held in 1963 and the eight days sporting extravaganza was held in Kuala Lumpur with around 1,300 athletes and officials taking part. By now the SEAP Games Federation had gained another member with Singapore’s independence from the Malaysian Federation in August that year.

The incapability of Cambodia, Laos and South Vietnam to take on the job of hosting the Games in the foreseeable future raised some concern among the other member countries. Even the participation of these countries was limited to token squads. In 1967, Cambodia again declined to host the Games, but Thailand took over and some 1,200 participants gathered in Bangkok. The next scheduled hosts were Vietnam, but they too had to reluctantly inform the Federation that troubles in the country prevented them from fulfilling their obligations, and the V SEAP Games returned to Rangoon. Singapore, the youngest member of the family, made the first move to alleviate the situation. In 1969 at Rangoon the Fifth Games were held, they proposed changing the SEAP Games name to SEA (South East Asia ) Games.

No names were mentioned but it was clear that Singapore thought of reinforcements from Indonesia and Philippines to help lift the sagging fortunes of the series. These two countries, which were more advanced in the affairs of international sport that the original members of the SEAP Games Federation, would not only be able to help out in the hosts job which was going abetting but also enter contestants of a higher standard in some events.

Thailand held on to their belief that the SEAP Games should be a small family affair and that going out of the peninsular would defeat the original purpose of the Games. An expanded Games would also not be in the real spirit of close neighbours.

Two years later, when Kuala Lumpur’s turn to officially host the VI SEAP Games for the second time in six years, Malaysia joined hands with Singapore to resubmit the name change proposal. Again, there was no success.

The Games continued in their original framework but the serious competition was provided only by Thailand, Burma, Malaysia and Singapore. Cambodia, and later Khmer, Laos and South Vietnam sent competitors who were mostly full time soldiers with little or no training in the events they were entered.

The four "active" countries who had carry the burden of hosting the Games were further depleted when Burma showed no further interest in helping out after hosting the 1969 Games, due to the deteriorating economy in their country.

Singapore hosted the VII SEAP Games for the first time with a full turnout of seven countries being held at the new and modern National Stadium in 1973. However, when Bangkok took its turn as host for the VII SEAP Games two years later, only four members organisations turned up - political problems in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam prevented their participation and cast serious doubts on their ability to take part in upcoming events anytime soon.

An idea that had flamed so boldly into life less that two decades before now seemed liable to be extinguished, crippled by regional political problems and the increasing cost burden of hosting the event so regularly - Thailand had already hosted the Games three times, and Burma and Malaysia twice apiece. A lifeline was needed.

Malaysia tendered a suggestion - extend the Federation to include other countries in the Southeast Asian region. To back up its proposal, Malaysia offered to again host the Games on the proviso that Brunei, Indonesia and Philippines be invited to take part. A solution had been found and on 5 February 1977, these three new members were officially welcomed into the Federation. Present on this occasion were Ferry Sonneville of Indonesia and Colonel Nereo Andolong of the Philippines.

Still, it was not plain sailing. Behind the scenes persuasion on the eve of the meeting by Olympic Council of Malaysia President, Tan Sri Hamzah Abu Samah got Thailand to withdraw some reservations about a change in name for the Games. Thailand, with good reason, viewed the Games with some sentiment. They were instrumental in starting the series and did not wish to let their early work go to waste.

With fresh life breathed into the biennial event, the only cosmetic change required was to drop the word "Peninsula" from the federation’s title - the emblem and the sequential numbering of the Games would remain to perpetuate the objectives, aspirations and contributions of the original founders. The IX SEA Games (the first to bear that title ) was held in Kuala Lumpur in 1977 with seven countries participating.

Indonesia and the Philippines have been of full value to the movement since becoming members. As new members of the club, Indonesia hosted the X SEA Games in Jakarta in 1979, and the Philippines hosted for the first time in 1981 in Manila when over 2,000 athletes and officials took part. The XII Games were to be held in Brunei to start anew the alphabetical schedule of hosts, but Singapore took over when the tiny nation begged off because of its preparations for the celebration of its forthcoming independence from the United Kingdom.

Since that time the Games have gone from strength to strength, the XIII being held in Bangkok, XIV in Jakarta and the XV in Kuala Lumpur in 1989, which saw the return of Laos and Vietnam for the first time under the new title. With nine out of the ten member countries participating, it was not only the largest in the history of the Games to date but also in the number of athletes and officials with a total 3,160 on hand.

Manila hosted the next SEA Games, followed by Singapore when 4,6ll athletes and officials were on hand. The XVIII SEA Games in Chiang Mai broke new ground in that it was the first time the Games had been held outside the capital city of the host nation; it was also the first time that all 10 member nations - the last re-entry being Cambodia - turned up to compete.

The XIX SEA Games was held at Jakarta with a record number of 6007 athletes and officials participated. A total of 34 sporting disciplines with 1,432 medals were offered in this Game. It was a far cry from the first Games held in Thailand 38 years ago, when 800 pioneers turned up to contest 12 sporting events.

After much coaxing from the Southeast Asia Games Federation Council, Brunei Darussalam accepted to host the XX SEA Games for the first time. In view of the facilities available, a total of 21 sporting disciplines will be offered during the Games from 7th - 15th August 1999. Polo will be introduced for the first time in the Games.

The XVIII SEA Games in Chiang Mai saw the full turn-out of 10 member nation for the first time, but the progress in improving the quality of participation in the Asian and Olympic Games from the SEA family is slow. Since the birth of SEAP Games, Thailand , the Philippines and Malaysia have won a Silver and Bronze medal each and Indonesia a Gold, Silver and Bronze in the Olympic Games. 

Whether this successes would had been achieved if there were no SEAP / SEA Games is difficult to say but there are more people knocking on the door for Asian and Olympic selection after participating in the SEA Games.

Another welcome development in the prominence given to the region’s endogenous sports and its potential in being accepted for competition in the Asian Games.

Sepak Takraw was accepted for SEAP Games competition in 1965 and it has been in every Games programme since then except in 1969 when the Games were held in Rangoon. The name Sepak Takraw itself was coined at a Federation Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in 1965, combining the Malaysian and Thai names for the traditional sport. It has since enjoyed international status as a competitive sports and been a demonstration sport in the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi.

Silat Olahraga, a martial art of the region, and traditional boat races were SEA Games event for the first time in Jakarta in 1987. They are in the program since then. Silat Olahraga has made giant strides outside the SEA Games framework and there are World Championships with good participation from European countries as well.

In 1989 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games, body building has been paired off as one event with weight lifting and the traditional boat race taking refuge under yachting. Wushu another martial art and squash, were first introduced in the Manila XVI SEA Games 1991. In 1989 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games, body building has been paired off as one event with weight lifting and the traditional boat race taking refuge under yachting. Athletics and swimming are compulsory sports.

For the first thirteen SEAP/SEA Games (1959 - 1985), the average number of events in the Games is 16. Since then, the average rose to 28 event which Jakarta offered the highest number in 1997. The lowest number of events is 12 with 67 gold medals made up for the first Games in 1959 while the highest is 34 with 438 gold in the 1997 programme in Jakarta.

THE ASIAN GAMES

From 1913 to 1934, ten Far East Championships were held in Asia. However, due to outbreak of World War II, the championships had to be suspended. After the war, a number of Asian countries gained their independence and their economies and cultures developed. This resulted in an increasing desire among the people of these countries to become less isolated from each other and to strengthen regional ties. To keep abreast of the changes taking place, the Indian Prime Minister of the day, Jawaharal Nehru, proposed at a conference on relations between Asian countries that an Asian sport meet be held in 1974.

In August 1948, during the 14th Olympic Games held in London, India proposed to sports leaders of the Asian teams the idea of holding the Asian Games. An agreement was made to form the Asian Athletic Federation and plans were laid to hold the first Asian Athletic Championships in New Delhi, India, in 1949 A Preparatory Committee was appointed to draft the charter for the Asian Amateur Athletic Federation. In February 1949, the Asian Amateur Athletic Federation was formally established and the name was changed to the Asian Athletic Federation.

It was agreed that the 1st Asian Games would be held in New Delhi in 1950, but the games had to be postponed and were eventually held in 1951 Since that time, the Asian Games have been held on a regular basis every four years, in between the Olympic Games. 

The objective of the Games is to deepen friendship and promote sports and international exchange among the people of Asia. The Asian Games follow the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) credo of & quote, ever Onward & quote. During their four-decade history, Asian Games have been advancing in all aspects. The quality of athletes, officials, sporting facilities has been developing through time. New sports events have been added to the Games. At the same time, magnificent, traditional sports played by peoples in the region have also been introduced in order to preserve and even have them spread to other parts of the world.

THE HISTORY OF THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES

Commonwealth Games was proposed by Englishman, Astley Cooper in 1891 as a festival ". Reverend J Astley Cooper was largely responsible for the concept of a sporting contest amongst the countries of the British Commonwealth. 

He wrote an article in 1891 for the magazine Greater Britain, in which he suggested that a festival combining sporting, military and literary events that would draw closer the ties and increase the goodwill and understanding of the Empire. His suggestion generated a great deal of interest in Britain and the British Colonies.

The holding of the first recorded Games between Empire athletes coincided with the celebrations in connection with the Coronation of His Majesty King George the Fifth in 1911, and was known as the 'Festival of Empire'.
A large and representative Committee, with the Earl of Plymouth as Chairman, arranged at the Crystal Palace Grounds in London a series of entertainment's and exhibitions pertaining to the progress and development of the British Empire.


When the Olympic Games were in progress in Amsterdam in 1928, the splendid feelings of friendliness between the Empire athletes at that Olympiad strengthened the ideas for the revival of Empire meetings. In view of Canada's victory in 1911, it was appropriate that it should have been through the initiative of a Canadian - M. M Robinson - that the British Empire Games took definite shape, and were revived at Hamilton, Canada in 1930.
Support was forthcoming from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, with the result that strong teams were sent to Canada. Teams also came from Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, British Guiana, Newfoundland and South Africa. 

The success of the first British Empire Games at Hamilton in 1930 provided full proof of the existence of the spirit of comradeship and cooperation between members of the British nation and the world over, and will go down in the history of British sport as the achievement of all that is best in the sporting traditions of the British race.
During these Games, at a council of representatives of Great Britain and the Dominions and Colonies, it was decided that similar meetings should be held every four years in between the Olympic Games, and that a British Empire Games Federation should be formed. Accordingly, when teams throughout the Empire were gathered together at the Tenth Olympiad at Los Angeles in 1932, the formation of the British Empire Games Federation was further discussed and the Federation was subsequently constituted.


In 1952 the Federation was retitled "British Empire and Commonwealth Games Federation". In Jamaica 1966 it became the "British Commonwealth Games Federation and in 1974 at Christchurch the title was again changed to the "Commonwealth Games Federation". 

In general construction, the Commonwealth Games are designed on the Olympic model, not in competition, but entirely complementary to the older series of Games, and, organised as they are between the Olympic celebrations, the experience gained should be of a real help to the Commonwealth athletes when facing the sterner trial of the great international meetings. The Commonwealth champions of today may well be the Olympic challengers of tomorrow.

Olympic Games

Prior to the formation of the Federation of Malaya Olympic Council in 1953 and its subsequent recognition by the IOC in 1954, some Malayans may have participated in the Olympic Games, representing their countries of origin, such as China and India. After receiving the recognition of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1954, the Federation of Malaya Olympic Council, as it was then known, sent a contingent of 33 athletes from 6 sports to participate in the Olympic Games in 1956 in Melbourne. Since then the Olympic Council of Malaysia, as it is known since 1964, has been participating in all the Olympic Games, except the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.

The Olympic Contingent of the Federation of Malaya to the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games comprised six athletes, two swimmers, 18 Hockey players, three Weightlifters and four shooters. There was only one female athlete in the Contingent, Ms. Annie Choong, who participated in Athletics. Amongst the Olympians were Koh Eng Tong, the 1950 British Empire Weightlifting gold medallist in the Featherweight Division and Tan Kim Bee, the silver medallist in the Light Heavyweight Division. The Hockey team finished 9th out of 12 teams. The Chef de Mission was Mr. Herman Marie de Souza (Hockey) and the Flag Bearer was Tan Eng Bee (Weightlifting).

The 1960 Rome Olympic Games Contingent, comprising nine athletes from four sports, was the smallest Malaysian Contingent to any Olympic Games to-date. The Contingent comprised three athletes, 2 swimmers, 2 shooters and 2 weightlifters. The Chef de Mission was Mr. Lim Kee Seong (Football) and the Flag Bearer was Shahrudin Mohd. Ali (Athletics).

Malaysia was formed in September 1964, with the entry of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore into the Federation of Malaya. The Malaysian Contingent to the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games included athletes from Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. The Contingent of 66 athletes is still the largest contingent, which has participated in the Olympic Games to-date. The Contingent comprised 12 athletes including one woman, 7 swimmers of which three were women, 18 Hockey players, 2 boxers, 6 weightlifters, 7 shooters, 9 cyclists, one fencer, and two each in Judo and wrestling. The Hockey team finished 9th.

M. Jegathesan, became the first Malaysian athlete to qualify for the semi-finals in his event, the 200 M. In Heat 5 of the First Round, he recorded a time of 20.9 sec., which is stands as the Malaysian record today. In the Second Round, Jegathesan recorded a time of 21.4 sec. to qualify for the semi-finals. He recorded a time of 21.2 sec. in the semi-final, and was eliminated. The Chef de Mission was Hon. Dato' Donald Stephens and the Flag Bearer was Kuda Ditta (Athletics).

The Malaysian Contingent to the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games comprised a total of 33 athletes from four sports. There were no athletes from Singapore, as Singapore left Malaysia in 1965, to become an independent country. The breakdown by sports was 11 athletes, 18 Hockey players, two athletes each from Cycling and Weightlifting. There was no women athlete in the Contingent. The Hockey team finished 15th out of 16 teams.

M Jegathesan repeated his feat four years earlier, in Rome, by qualifying for the semi-finals of the 200 M. He clocked times of 20.9 sec. in the First Round, 21.0 sec. in the Second Round and 21.0 sec. in the semi-finals. The Chef de Mission was Hon. Khaw Kai Boh (Basketball).

The Malaysian Contingent to the 1972 Munich Olympic Games was 57 strong and is the second largest Olympic contingent to-date. For the first time in Malaysian history, Football qualified for the Olympic Games. Badminton was introduced as a demonstration sport and three players participated. Athletics sent a team of 11 athletes with two women, there were one male and one female swimmer, one shooter and four cyclists. The Hockey team finished 8th out of 12 teams. The Football Team was drawn into Group A, with the teams from West Germany, Morocco and the U.S.A. After losing to West Germany by 3 goals to nil, winning its next match against U.S.A. with a score of 3 goals to nil and finally losing to Morocco by 6 goals to nil, the team was eliminated. The Chef de Mission was Hon. Dato' Harun Idris (Football).

The Malaysian Contingent to the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games was pretty small, 23 athletes in total. There were only three athletes, one swimmer, two shooters and one cyclists. There was no woman athlete in the Contingent. The Hockey team finished in 9th position. Athlete Ishtiaq Mubarak became only the second Malaysian athlete to qualify for the semi-finals in Athletics. In the 110 M. Hurdles, Ishtiaq recorded a time of 14.27 sec. in Heat 2 to qualify for the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, he recorded a time of 14.21 sec. and was eliminated. The Chef de Mission was H.H. Raja Azlan Shah (Hockey) and the Flag Bearer was Ishtiaq Mubarak (Athletics).

Due to unavoidable circumstances, Malaysia did not participate in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. However, it should be placed on record that the Football and the Hockey teams both qualified to participate in the 1980 Olympic Games.

The 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games saw a rather small Malaysian Contingent of only 20 athletes. The composition of the Contingent was 16 Hockey players and one athlete each from Athletics, Swimming (female), Shooting and Cycling. The Hockey team finished in 11th position out of 12 teams. The Chef de Mission was Tunku Adnan bin Tunku Besar Burhanuddin and the Flag Bearer was Sabiahmad Abd. Ahad (Shooting).

For the second time in Malaysian Olympic history, the Hockey team did not qualify for the Olympic Games. As such the Malaysian Olympic Contingent to the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games was the smallest since 1960. The team comprised of two athletes (one female), two swimmers (one female), two cyclists, one shooter, and two women Table Tennis players. Badminton and Taekwondo were the two demonstration sports. Two Badminton players and four Taekwondo exponents from Malaysia participated in the above two demonstration sports. The Chef de Mission of the Contingent was HRH Prince Imran (Squash) and the Flag Bearer was Nordin Jadi (Athletics).

Badminton was officially included as a medal sport for the first time in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. Expectations were very high for the Malaysian Badminton players to win the first Olympic medals for the country. This was more so, as Malaysia had four months earlier, won the Thomas Cup, the World Team Badminton Championship, after a lapse of 26 years.

The Badminton players did not disappoint their supporters and Malaysia won its first Olympic medal, a bronze medal in the Men's Doubles event, through brothers Rasif and Jalani Sidek. With Hockey qualifying for the Olympic Games, the Contingent comprised 16 Hockey players, one athlete each from Athletics, Swimming, Shooting and Cycling and six Badminton players. Taekwondo was again a demonstration sport and two female Taekwondo exponents participated in Barcelona. The Hockey team finished in 9th position out of 12 teams. The Chef de Mission was Tan Sri Elyas Omar (Badminton) and the Flag Bearer was Rasif Sidek (Badminton).

The 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games saw Malaysia participating for the first time in Sailing and salom Canoeing, with one athlete each. The Contingent comprised 4 athletes, 5 swimmers (one woman), 16 Hockey players, one boxer, one shooter and 7 Badminton players (one woman player), making a total of 36 athletes. Badminton as expected won a silver medal through the Men's Doubles pair of Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kin Hock and a bronze medal in the Men's Singles through Rashid Sidek. The Hockey team finished in 11th position out of 12 teams. The Chef de Mission was Hon. Dato' Dr. Abdullah Fadzil Che Wan (Badminton) and the Flag Bearer was Nor Saiful Zaini, the Captain of the Hockey Team.