KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Olympic chiefs will ask fans to help design the country’s next Olympic kit, after the national attire for the Paris Games received flak online.
Unveiled over the weekend, the gold-themed outfits with tiger stripe designs were meant to reflect Malaysia’s pursuit of gold medals, according to sports officials.
But they have been criticised by some, with fans online branding the designs “ugly”, “cheap-looking” or outdated and lacking inspiration when compared with previous designs.
Among the outfits were tracksuits, polo shirts and T-shirts, with some fans unhappy also at how they were unveiled – on a series of mannequins.
Chef de Mission Hamidin Mohamad Amin on Tuesday (Jun 25) acknowledged the criticism and said that the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) may open opportunities for the public to contribute their designs for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
He added he also spoke to the council’s president Mohamad Norza Zakaria following the criticism.
“He has essentially agreed that next time we will open up to fans for designing the contingent’s official attire for the next cycle, and we may even provide incentives,” he added.
Hamidin also admitted that it was a mistake to use mannequins to showcase the kits, which were unveiled during an Olympic Day celebration at a shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur.
Footage of the ceremony showed the mannequins first wrapped in black cloth, with the fabric later removed following a countdown. Celebratory music and a smattering of applause could be heard.
