Fresh from the victorious outing at the 19th Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India last month, Malaysian athletes should not rest on their laurels.

They have an equally big mission to accomplish - to continue the success at the 16th Asian Games, which officially opened here on Friday.

The Malaysian contingent is tasked with delivering the targeted nine gold medals to make it the best achievement for the country since it first participated in the 1954 Asian Games in Manila.

According to Chef-de-Mission Datuk Zolkples Embong, who is also National Sports Council (NSC) director-general, several sports such as taekwondo, karate and sailing could also deliver gold for the contingent.

"If the contingent delivers the targeted nine golds, it would be history in the making for our participation in the Asiad," he told Bernama.

- BERNAMA (Malaysia)