The 2024 Paris Olympics has officially ended, but netizens are still discussing the multiple events. Many of you may have heard that Breaking became an official sport at this year’s Olympiad – and have probably seen the memes surrounding Australian breakdancer Raygun and her infamous routine. However, some might wonder: why didn’t Malaysia send a representative for the sport?
Local breakdancer and national breaking athlete Firdaus “Sora” Nawir recently revealed that Malaysia could’ve sent in a representative to the Olympics – if it wasn’t for the lack of budget. In response to a netizen asking why Malaysia never tried for Breaking, given that the country is home to many breakdancers, Firdaus said, “I had to use my own money to participate in each qualification competition. It’s not easy to qualify for the Olympics. It reached the point where I had to give up participating in overseas qualifications because I didn’t have enough money.”
If you’re curious, Malaysia does have a background in competitive breakdancing, and our national athletes have won multiple medals in the sport, including gold at the 2023 SEA Games, won by Sam Jee Lek, a.k.a Legosam. However, like any other sport, a Breaking athlete has to win a qualification spot awarded at competitions, like the World Championships and the Olympic Qualifier Series, to represent one’s country in the Olympics. Unfortunately, these competitions are typically held in foreign countries and can be costly.
Following Firdaus’ revelation, netizens voiced disappointment that the government couldn’t allocate more budget for our national athletes in other sports. Many also said it was a shame and a waste that Malaysia didn’t have a representative for Breaking, given how well our athletes could’ve done in the category. Meanwhile, some netizens took the opportunity to thank Firdaus and the other national dancesport athletes for continuing to represent Malaysia internationally despite a lack of support.
Unfortunately, Breaking will not return for the 2028 Olympics at Los Angeles, meaning Malaysia won’t have a chance for gold in the category. Nevertheless, Firdaus urged the public to continue to support our local talents in other competitions. What are your thoughts on this?
Source: Twitter
