National Sports Convention: Minister spells out problems

Participants listening to a speech at the convention yesterday. Pic: — MOHD RADZI BUJANG

THE task was not easy, especially as time was of the essence and the agenda long but if even half of what Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob wants is achieved, the National Sports Convention will be considered a success.

Perhaps realising that one and a half days is too short a time to address what ails Malaysian sport, Ismail Sabri provided some pointers in his speech and, to his credit, he addressed most of the problems.

Ismail Sabri raised nine areas which he hoped the four groups comprising officials, coaches, former athletes, retired administrators and journalists would focus on.

Among them were amending the Sports Development Act, identifying the sports Malaysia should focus on for the 2012 London Olympics and the right organisational structure for national sports associations.

"It has been said that Malaysian sports, due to the failures of popular sports like football and hockey, are in bad shape.
"This, we all know, is not true as we are doing well in several sports and our results in the various multi-Games in recent times have also been good," said Ismail Sabri at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

"But, and this is something we can't deny, we still have a long way to go. We have yet to win an Olympic gold and there is also so much of room for improvement in various areas."

One area, Ismail Sabri said, has to be governance.

"There is still so much infighting in associations and this must be stopped. Office bearers come and go but athletes remain and for me, it is the athletes we must worry about.

"That is why I believe the Olympic Council of Malaysia must, should an association fail to settle internal differences within a stipulated time, suspend the association.

"This will perhaps help prevent associations from being embroiled in infighting."

Ismail Sabri also urged associations to tap the potential in schools.

"There are 5.6 million students aged between five and 18 in Malaysian schools.

"We must reach them as they are the future. We have to remember that the sooner we identify them, the better our chances will be to develop a world or Olympic champion."

On the same note, Ismail Sabri said he hoped the focus of the two sports schools will be on students excelling in sports.

"While we want the athletes to do well academically, I believe those in sports schools should focus on doing well in sports.

"The sports schools shouldn't be too rigid in wanting academic excellence.

"This is an issue even the Deputy Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) raised in his address.

"If it is possible for students to delay their public examinations, we should allow them too."

The afternoon session was dedicated to addressing the points Ismail Sabri raised, which also included sports science, a mechanism for associations to settle internal disputes without the Sports Commissioner getting involved, the star rating for associations and a multi-sport national Games for Olympic sports.

The resolutions will be discussed again today before being presented to Ismail Sabri, who will then report to the Cabinet Committee for Sports, which is chaired by Najib.

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