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PETALING JAYA – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) have decided not to send the national Under-23 squad to the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September.
FAM president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin said this is because the Asiad will be held in the same month as the 2024 Under-23 Asia Cup Qualifiers.
He said the decision was made after considering the views of FAM technical director Scott O'Donell and head coach E. Elavarasan that the qualifying round was more important to earn a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“We do not want to compete in all the tournaments and end up not winning anything. Our focus this year is on three competitions, namely the SEA Games in Cambodia, the 2024 Under-23 Asia Cup Qualifiers, and the Under-23 AFF Cup,” he told the media here today.
Hamidin said the decision had been relayed to the Olympic Council of Malaysia, who had no objection.
The 2022 Asian Games will be held from September 23 to October 8 while the 2024 Under-23 Asia Cup Qualifiers will be from September 4-12.
The three best teams in the 2024 Under-23 Asia Cup Finals will qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. – Bernama, February 14, 2023