Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today encouraged athletes to give “world-class" performances at the 2017 SEA Games and Asean Para Games, in view of how world-class facilities and infrastructure had been completed ahead of the games.

In a rousing speech, he said stadiums in Bukit Jalil have been fitted out ahead of the games and listed mega-projects recently completed by the government - the Mass Rail Transit (MRT) system and the Malaysian Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec).

“Just yesterday, I launched the East Coast Railway Link (ECRL), which will be one of the most modern train systems in the world.

“We have prepared all these world-class facilities, so we want to see world-class performances!” he bellowed impassionately to the receptive crowd before handing over the Jalur Gemilang to the Malaysian contingents for both games.

More than 1,200 athletes and their coaching teams slated to compete in both games witnessed the event at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) today.

Najib said the SEA Games contingent this year would be country’s largest thus far, comprising 873 athletes and 360 officials.

The 29th SEA Games will be held from Aug 19 to 31 and the 9th Asean Para Games from Sept 17 to 23. The country last hosted the games in 2001.

Speaking to the media later, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar announced the official gold medal target for the games.

“After taking into account all factors and analysis, the number of gold medals needed to make us overall champions is 111 for the SEA Games and 103 for the Asean Para Games,” he said, adding that these were realistic targets based on the current state of preparation.

Khairy, however, declined to name specific athletes or the sports targeted for the medals, to avoid heaping undue pressure on them.

“Inside the camp, we are not obsessing over targets. But instead, we are obsessing about (athletes) doing their best. If they do their best, gold medals will come,” he added.