His Royal Highness Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah, President of Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council, called for national coaches and sports association to set the goal of producing athletes capable of qualifying for the Olympics without relying on universality places.

Universality places are a lifeline to athletes from underrepresented National Olympic Committees (NOCs), aimed to increase the diversity of participating nations in the Games.

For the Paris Olympics, NOCs who participated with an average of eight athletes or less in individual sports at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 are eligible for universality places.

In a sabda during the handover of the national flag to the Brunei Darussalam Paris Olympics 2024 contingent, His Royal Highness said it is the challenge of national athletes, coaches and sports associations to come up with detailed plans to be able to qualify athletes without relying on universality places in future Olympic games.

“The goal cannot be achieved without in-depth and proper planning,” said His Royal Highness. “Emulate and learn from sport associations in the world who are able to produce successful athletes. Only by learning can we gain the knowledge to further grow each sport.”

Meanwhile, His Royal Highness advised national athletes heading to the Paris Olympics to avoid thinking that they are there to “just participate”, because of placement through universality places.

“If this kind of thinking is in the mind of athletes, then the hope to progress in the future and the efforts to qualify will continue to be affected and not be achieved,” said His Royal Highness.

For the national athletes heading to the 33rd Olympic Games in Paris, His Royal Highness hopes they will fully make use of the opportunity to demonstrate their undying competitiveness by smashing national or personal best records. – James Kon

Courtesy from Borneo Bulletin