Organiser apologises for 'flawed' launch of Malaysia's Olympic attire

The organiser of the 2024 World Olympic Day celebration, MY Creative Moments, has reportedly apologised to the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), the ministry of youth and sports (KBS) and sports fans of the country for the "flawed" launch of Malaysia's Olympic attire. 

In a statement, MY Creative Moments' managing director Wong Kang Woon reportedly acknowledged the shortcomings and took responsibility for any flaws in the management and organisation of the event, as well as for attracting comments from fans and netizens that have affected the overall image of OCM. 

According to Malay Mail, sports fans on social media expressed displeasure with the design, and have claimed it to be "backward and uninspiring" compared to previous official attire of the national contingent. 

Don't miss: AliExpress unveils global campaign ahead of Olympic Games Paris 2024

The use of static mannequins and not real models and athletes to demonstrate the new official attire were reportedly mocked on social media too. 

The national attire, outfitted by Yonex Sunrise Malaysia, was unveiled over the weekend. The attire featured tiger stripe designs and gold accents. Among the outfits were tracksuits, polo shirts and T-shirts.

According to a statement seen by A+M, the black and gold themed attire, combined with the elements of the tiger stripes reflects "Malaysia's relentless and ferocious pursuit of the elusive gold medal at the Olympics"

That said, sports minister Hannah Yeoh has reportedly come forward to say that the launched attire will not be used in 2024 Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony on 26 July. 

She reportedly added that there is another set of official attire for the event and that she respects OCM and their sponsorship contract with Yonex. 

When the attire was first launched, Yeoh took to social media to distance herself from the incident, saying that KBS Malaysia has took note of various reactions regarding the design of the official uniform and that her ministry had not decided on the official clothing design as it is not under their jurisdiction. 

She added that the official attire was prepared by Yonex and that the design was approved by the board of directors of Majlis Olimpik Malaysia (MOM) who took the initiative to use a new design specially for the games in Paris.

While Malaysia remains focused on its newly launched attire, Chinese retailer AliExpress has unveiled a global ad campaign “Find your sport” ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

The campaign highlights that AliExpress has seen more than 161 million purchases of sporting-related goods and enabled consumers from around the world to actively engage in sports in the past five years.

"Find your sport" also highlights the spirit of sports and its ability to bring people together to create connections, shared experiences and memories. In addition, it showcases the power of sports on and off the pitch, illustrating how it can empower and inspire people through the inclusive nature of sports.

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