Malaysia’s Danny Chia is certain golf will be a success when it returns to the Olympics in Rio this summer despite a number of top players pulling out.
The 2016 Olympics in Brazil have been hit by concerns over the Zika virus leading to a number of athletes from all sports opting not to travel.
The mosquito-borne virus has been linked to brain defects in newborn babies and there are plenty of big names not willing to risk the health of their families.
Golf appears to the hardest hit in terms of withdrawals with the likes of Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy all dropping out.
The Olympic committee has welcomed back golf into the programme for the first time in 112 years but there are fears its return may be short lived.
Despite the concerns Chia believes that golf’s return can still be a success and expects the field will still be extremely competitive.
Chia said: “It’s a shame that golf will return to the Olympics after 112 years without the world’s top four stars and several other top players.
“But in golf you can’t really look at it that way. There are still many world-class players in the 60-man field.
They all want to win a medal badly for their country, including me. “So, I think the golf competition is going to be a big success in Rio.
I’m very proud to be part of it.” The Malaysian will be joined by compatriot Gavin Kyle Green, while Michelle Koh and Kelly Tan will represent Malaysia in the ladies competition.
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