10 Fun Facts About Malaysia At The Olympics, Including All The Firsts & Historic Winter Games Debut

Malaysia Olympic facts to know

The Olympic Games has always been an event that Malaysians look forward to every time it rolls around. Seeing our local athletes shine on the international stage, while we come together to cheer them on, never fails to make us proud and united as a nation.

With Malaysia competing in the Olympics even before our country’s independence, you can bet that there’s a whole lot of history behind our participation in the Games. We rounded up several fun facts to know, as we’re all tuning in to watch the Paris 2024 Olympics.

1. Malaysia made its debut at the Olympic Games in 1956

If you’re wondering when Malaysia’s first Olympic Games was, our nation made its official debut appearance at the Olympic Games in 1956, as the Federation of Malaya.

Image adapted from: Olympic Council of Malaysia

The Malayan contingent sent to Melbourne, Australia, comprised 33 athletes competing in five sports: athletics, hockey, shooting, swimming, and weightlifting. Before our nation’s Olympic Council received recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), several Malayans represented their country of origin at the Games, competing for China and India.

In 1964, our athletes marched and competed under the Malaysian flag at the Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

2. Malaysia won its first Olympic medal in 1992

You could say that 1992 was a good year for Malaysian badminton. On 16th May, Malaysian shuttlers triumphed over Indonesia to win the nation’s 5th Thomas Cup title, ending a 25-year medal drought. Malaysia also secured the championship title in Men’s Doubles at the Badminton World Cup.

Image credit: Team Malaysia via Twitter

On 3rd August that same year, the legendary Sidek brothers, Razif Sidek and Jalani Sidek, brought home Malaysia’s first-ever Olympic medal at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics – a historic bronze win for the Men’s Doubles event in Badminton. The dynamic duo dazzled spectators with their lightning-fast smashes and strategic play on the court.

Olympics fun fact: Badminton was officially included as a sport category at the Olympics in 1992 – it was a demonstration sport in 1972, 20 years ago.

3. Malaysia did not participate in the 1980 Olympics

Since its first appearance in 1956, Malaysia has participated in every Summer Olympics – all but the 1980 Olympics. The nation was one of 65 countries who opted to stand in solidarity with the US-led boycott of the Moscow-held games, in light of the Soviet-Afghan war.

The decision did not come about without any sacrifices. Both Malaysia’s hockey and national football teams had qualified for the Olympics that year, but did not compete.

4. Annie Choong is Malaysia’s first woman Olympian

Annie Choong, fourth from the front left.
Image credit: Olympics.com

The nation’s Olympics debut in 1956 was a milestone for its citizens, and also athletes.

Annie Choong made her mark as the only female athlete in the Malaysia, then-Malaya, debut contingent. She was also historically Malaysia’s first woman Olympian. The track queen’s participation in the 100m event at a time when women in sports was rare was certainly notable.

Image credit: Olympic Council of Malaysia via Facebook

It earned her a spot in the Olympic Council of Malaysia’s Hall of Fame and the Malaysia Book of Records.

5. Lee Chong Wei is the Olympian with the most medals won

Lee Chong Wei needs no introduction – the badminton legend is a pride of Malaysia, achieving feats that helped put the nation on the global stage. One of his most notable achievements in Badminton is the accolade he holds: the first Olympian to win three consecutive silver medals in the Men’s Singles event.

Image credit: Olympics.com.my

The three-time Olympic medallist put his name in the history books, following a glorious win at the Rio 2016 Olympics, after previously bagging silver medals at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 games.

6. Malaysia has competed in two Winter Olympic Games

The only weather that Malaysia gets is hot and wet. While a tropical country taking part in winter sports sounds a tad odd, this didn’t stop our determined athletes from participating in the Winter Olympic Games.

Image credit: Olympics.com

Our nation’s first historic appearance was at the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with alpine ski racer Jeffrey Webb and figure skater Julian Yee representing the country. Prior to these Winter Olympics debuts, 16-year-old Chew Kai Xiang competed in the Winter Olympic Youth Games in 2016.

Malaysia also took part in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, with Webb making a return while fellow alpine ski racer Aruwin Salehhuddin making her debut.

7. The largest & smallest Malaysian contingents was in 1964 & 1988

At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Malaysia’s contingent comprises 26 athletes in 10 sports. Since its Olympics debut, Malaysia has consistently been represented by a similar number of athletes at the Olympic Games.

There was just two exception at two games – the 1964 Tokyo and 1988 Seoul games, with the most at 62 and the least at 9 athletes respectively.

Image credit: Singapore National Olympic Council

Malaysia was formed officially in 1964, with Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore athletes also part of the nation’s 62 contingent composition to Tokyo, Japan. It is the country’s largest contingent at the Olympics to date.

Image adapted from: Olympic Council of Malaysia

In 1988, Malaysia’s hockey team did not qualify for the Olympics, which has been a consistent fixture in the nation’s roster, leading to the drop in numbers.

8. Malaysia has 9 Olympic medals in Badminton

Malaysia has firmly established itself as a powerhouse in badminton. Since the nation’s breakthrough, with an Olympic medal in Badminton secured at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics, the country has amassed an impressive tally of nine medals in the sport – six silver and three bronze.

At the Paris 2024 Olympics, a total of eight shuttlers will compete in five events, with their eyes on the podium:

• Lee Zii Jia, Men’s Singles
• Aaron Chia & Soh Wooi Yik, Men’s Doubles
• Goh Jin Wei, Women’s Singles
• Pearly Tan & Thinaah Muralitharan, Women’s Doubles
• Chen Tang Jie & Toh Ee Wei, Mixed Doubles

9. Malaysian athletes have participated in a diverse range of sports

Conversations on Olympic sports in Malaysia typically circle around badminton, track cycling, and diving – sports that our nation has secured hard-earned Olympic medals in. But we’ve been represented by talented athletes in other Olympic sports, achieving notable feats in them too.

Image credit: Free Malaysia Today

Take the national football team at the 1972 Olympic Games in Germany, for starters. The team qualified and played in the prestigious sporting field, defeating USA 3-0 – this marked Malaysia’s first football victory in the Olympics.

Image credit: The Olympians

In Malaysian athletics, the nation’s legendary sprinter, Dr Mani Jegathesan – nicknamed the ‘Flying Doctor of Malaysia’ by the UK’s BBC – was also regarded as the ‘Fastest Man in Asia’ in the 1960s. He competed in three Olympics, setting a national record in 1968 that was not broken until 49 years later.

Showing that Malaysia truly boleh, Malaysia’s time at the Olympics over the years sees the nation represented by resilient athletes in sports such as table tennis, taekwondo, canoeing, fencing, and golf.

10. Malaysia has a total of 15 Olympic medals

Malaysia has showcased its diverse sporting talent by competing in a wide range of sports over the years. While on the quest for the Olympic gold, our Malaysian athletes have secured a total of 13 Olympic medals from seven games:

Malaysia Olympics facts over the years

Malaysia has come a long way since the nation made its debut as Malaya at the prestigious Olympic Games in 1956. With a total of 13 medals under our belt, and a strong list of Olympians making us proud at the Paris 2024 Olympics, we look forward to cheering on our athletes in Paris!

If you’re wondering where you can watch the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Malaysia, free-to-air RTM is broadcasting sporting events on its sports channels, Okey and RTMKlik. You can watch it online here.

You might also want to find out more about these Olympians who are making their debuts at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Cover image adapted from: Olympic Council of Malaysia, Olympics.com