Malaysia has been participating in the Asian Games since 1958. The 3rd Asian Games held in Tokyo, Japan in 1958 was the starting point for our involvement in the Asian Games. The subsequent participation soon follow with the 4th Asian Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia from 24 August to 4 September, 1962 onwards until the coming 13th Asian Games to be held in Bangkok, Thailand from 6 to 20 December, 1998.

In the last Asian Games, which is 13^th Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand, the Olympic Council of Malaysia had send about 210 athletes and officials to take part in 18 of the 34 sports at the XIIIth Asian Games in Bangkok on December 6 – 20, 1998. Their participation is expected to cost the OCM more than RM 800,000.

Competing against Asian powerhouses China, Japan, South Korea, the Central Asian republics and the stronger Arab countries, Malaysia has set a modest target of four gold medals, the same number that we won at the last Asian Games in Hiroshima in 1994.

Expectations of a better than Hiroshima performance by the Malaysians are based on the 10 gold medals that they won at the recent Commonwealth Games. All the gold medallists are going to the Asian Games.

Professor Dr Zakaria Ahmad, head of the Malaysian Gymnastics Federation, is the Chef de Mission, and Nominshah Sabirin, president of the Malaysian Netball Association, is the deputy.

The numerical composition of the 18 teams selected for the Bangkok Games are:-

Athletics (18), Badminton (19), Billiards and Snooker (11), Tenpin Bowling (16), Boxing (7), Cycling (5), Equestrian (14), Rhythmic Gymnastics (5), Hockey (20), Karate-Do (11), Sepaktakraw (18), Shooting (10), Squash (6), Swimming (4), Taekwondo (6), Weightlifting (4), Wushu (5), and Yachting (5).

The medical and secretariat staff’s, including contingent leaders, total 18.