28-6-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) Malaysian officials have agreed to redesign some of the country’s kits for next month’s Paris Olympics after the outfits were widely panned as “cheap-looking” and “embarrassing” by the public.
In a statement on Friday, Chef de mission Hamidin Mohamad Amin acknowledged that they have “decided to improve the existing design” in response to the overwhelming criticism.
“After taking into consideration and feedback from all parties, including the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Sports Council, and national sports fans, the Olympic council acknowledges that the design of the official jacket was not well-received,” he said.
The Southeast Asian nation first unveiled its Olympics outfits on Sunday, featuring a black and gold theme inspired by tiger stripes. The casual collection, designed by Yonex Sunrise Malaysia, included tracksuits, polo shirts, and T-shirts, intended to symbolize Malaysia’s pursuit of an elusive first Olympic gold medal.
However, scorn swiftly followed the launch across Malaysian social media, with designers, a former Olympian, and the general public expressing dismay at the “ugly” designs and questioning why the country’s talented designers were not involved in the process.
“We are going to the Olympics… we want to promote Malaysia in the eyes of the world… it’s embarrassing to have a design that looks like a school kid’s emergency outfit,” lamented Aliff Shanusi on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Retired Malaysian track cyclist and three-time Olympian Josiah Ng Onn Lam chimed in, stating, “I’ve competed at 3 Olympics for Malaysia, and there is a reason I didn’t keep any of our outfits as a souvenir.”
Initially, Chef de Mission Hamidin defended the kits, urging the public to focus on athletic performance rather than appearances. However, the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) was reportedly moved to consider revamping the collection for competing athletes in collaboration with sports equipment giant Yonex.
According to a source quoted by Timesport, Yonex will create exclusive attire specifically for the 25 athletes taking part in the Paris Games, with the new designs expected to be unveiled in the coming weeks.
Malaysian graphic designers also joined in the criticism, sharing their professional critiques. “Some of them are really nice, cool, and modern-looking, but others seem poorly designed, lacking any aesthetic appeal or care,” said Issal Prakash, a 27-year-old graphic design associate.
The dissatisfaction extended beyond the local community, with international observers, including Australian TikTok content creator Bee Jamieson, sniping that “the uniform itself looks like it’s a PE uniform for a public school.”
This is not the first time Malaysia’s Olympic attire has faced public scrutiny, with the 2012 London Olympics outfits also receiving mixed reactions.
As about 10,500 athletes from more than 200 nations prepare to compete in the Paris Olympics beginning on July 26, Malaysian officials hope that the revamped kits will not only meet the public’s expectations but also inspire the country’s athletes to achieve their long-awaited first Olympic gold medal.
