FORMER national swimming champion Nurul Huda Abdullah is set to lead the Malaysian contingent as chef de mission for the SEA Games 2025 in Thailand.
The Olympic Council of Malaysia vice-president believes her experience as deputy chef de mission at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines will be invaluable for her new role.
“That SEA Games opened my eyes to a lot of how to handle and lead big teams under the leadership of the then CDM Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin,” she told reporters during her official visit to the national table tennis squad.
She acknowledged that the 2025 edition will present logistical challenges due to increased participation and Olympic sports.
Nurul Huda expressed confidence that the Malaysian contingent will deliver an improved performance at the upcoming Games.
The final number of Malaysian officials and athletes for the SEA Games will only be confirmed next month.
The 52-year-old will be supported by three deputy chefs de mission for the biennial event.
Her support team includes Badminton Association of Malaysia secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh, former sprinter Nazmizan Muhammad, and former hockey player Jivan Mohan.
Nurul Huda holds the record for the most medals won by a Malaysian athlete at the SEA Games with an incredible total of 32 medals.
Her medal haul comprises 22 gold, 8 silver, and 2 bronze medals across three consecutive editions from 1985 to 1989.
She remains the first and only Malaysian female swimmer to have won a medal at the Asian Games.
Her Asian Games achievement includes 2 silver and 2 bronze medals at the 10th Asian Games in Seoul in 1986.
She also represented Malaysia at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games as a competitive swimmer.
When asked about the swimming squad’s current performance, she expressed pleasure with their results at the Asian Aquatics Championship 2025.
She described the championship as a good preparatory event to gauge Malaysia’s standing against other countries before the SEA Games.
Malaysia has so far won two bronze medals at the Asian Aquatics Championship in Ahmedabad, India.
The bronzes came from Khiew Hoe Yean in the men’s 400 metre freestyle and the men’s 4×200 metre freestyle relay.
The SEA Games 2025 will take place in Thailand from December 9 to 20. – Bernama