Malaysian Olympic officials have responded to criticism of their athletes’ uniforms for next month’s Paris Olympics by telling critics: “Next time, do it yourself.”
The gold-themed and tiger-striped uniforms unveiled last weekend were meant, in keeping with sports officials, to reflect Malaysia’s relentless pursuit of gold medals.
However, they were criticized by some, with fans online calling them “ugly” and “cheap-looking.”
“I spoke to the president of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM),” said the pinnacle of the mission, Hamidin Mohamad Amin, as quoted by The Star newspaper.
“He agreed that next time we will allow fans to propose a design.
“We will choose the best design and reward the winner.”
The outfits included tracksuits, polo shirts and T-shirts, and a few fans were also dissatisfied with the way in which they were presented – on a series of mannequins.
According to some local reports, OCM said the uniform will only be used for travel, while a distinct uniform shall be used for the opening ceremony and competition.
This didn’t stop critics who were dissatisfied with the gold color of the flag on the outfits, as a substitute of the country’s original colours: red, blue, yellow and white.
“Shame on you, Olympic Council!! Please change our national color back to the original!!,” wrote a Facebook user.
We were unable to acquire a comment from sports authorities.
Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh distanced herself from the scandal, telling X on Monday that her ministry had no jurisdiction over the project and that responsibility rested with OCM.
