Skip to main content

SportCheck: Push for sporting culture

Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek (centre), Razali Ibrahim (left) and Zolkples Embong watch 110m hurdler Mohd Rohaizah Jamil in training at NSC yesterday. — Pic: EFFENDY RASHID
Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek (centre), Razali Ibrahim (left) and Zolkples Embong watch 110m hurdler Mohd Rohaizah Jamil in training at NSC yesterday. — Pic: EFFENDY RASHID

SPORTS Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, after avoiding making any statements over the last two weeks, finally announced his visions for Malaysian sport yesterday.

Ahmad Shabery, addressing the national athletes at the National Sports Council for the first time since taking charge of the Sports Ministry, said his visions is to see Malaysians becoming a sporting society, national athletes winning more medals at the highest level and sport turning into an industry.

Ahmad Shabery said although his visions are not new, he wants to ensure that these three areas are developed in order to see Malaysia becoming a proud sporting nation again.

Ahmad Shabery believes creating a sporting culture is the start towards bringing sport to the forefront.

"We need to become a sporting society where every Malaysian should be focused on at least one sport, If they are not involved in any sport at all, they should not be considered Malaysians," said Ahmad Shabery.
"Everyone should be asking each other what sport they are involved in and every child is urged to specialise in at least one sport.

"The athletes should not just be focused on competing alone but striving to win medals at every level -- from the Sea Games to the Olympics. Go as high as you can and our priority will be the 2012 London Olympics.

"Sports must also become an industry as a whole and it must be viewed as a career. Our athletes should not end up jobless when they retire and if sport can turn into an industry, it will provide a career at all levels.

"Children should not aim to become doctors or engineers but should be saying that they want to be sportsmen like Lee Chong Wei or (the late Datuk) Mokhtar Dahari.

"As I have promised, I am ever willing to listen to your (athletes') views and ideas on what I need to do as a minister to ensure sports reach the highest level.

"I'm not here to make drastic changes and I will not disrupt things that are moving smoothly."

Ahmad Shabery also had a discussion with NSC director general Datuk Zolkples Embong and other officials, inspected the facilities in Bukit Jalil and also visited the training sessions of the archers, shooters, track and field athletes, wushu, bowling and badminton.

Ahmad Shabery and Deputy Sports Minister Datuk Razali Ibrahim also took time to play a doubles match, partnering Chong Wei and Koo Kien Keat respectively at the end of their visit.

NST

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ex-coach's jail sentence cut to a year

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal yesterday sentenced former athletics coach C. Ramanathan to 12 months' jail for molesting two junior athletes 19 years ago. A three-man bench led by Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus unanimously dismissed Ramanathan's appeal against conviction, but varied the jail sentence of four years to a year, which was to run concurrently. Following yesterday's ruling, Ramanathan, 75, a former teacher, walked out a free man as he had served 10 months in Kajang Prison. Convicts get one-third remission for good behaviour while in prison. However, he will lose his pension. Hishamudin, who sat with Datuk Abdul Wahab Patail and Datuk Linton Albert, said the court found no merit to overturn the conviction. "However, in reducing the sentence, we considered Ramanathan's age and the long years the appeal has taken." Deputy public prosecutor Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud submitted that then High Court judge Tan Sri Abdull Hamid E...
2 comments
Read more

Govt Always Gives Emphasis To Sporting Culture, Says PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 29 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badaw i said the government always gives emphasis on cultivating a strong sporting culture in achieving excellence at the international level. As such, the Prime Minister said, it was important to scout for young talents in sports. "I observe that the Malaysia Games (Sukma) has become one of the important platforms to do so. "In this arena, the potentials and skills of the youngsters can be identified for development so that they can achieve greater success in sports," he said in his message in the souvenir book of the 12th Sukma from May 31 until June 9. Abdullah said he was aware that competition in sports was very keen and challenging but this did not mean that Malaysian athletes were incapable of competing at the international level. "The fact is that we have all the characteristics required to be excellent. We must inculcate a strong fighting spirit so that we don't easily surrender,...
1 comment
Read more

Indonesia Choose Komodo Dragon As SEA Games Mascot

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 (Bernama) -- Host for the 26th SEA Games, Indonesia has chosen the Komodo dragon as mascot for the 2011 Games which will be held in Jakarta and Palembang from Nov 11 to 25. The Indonesia SEA Games Organizing Committee (Inasoc), was qouted by Jakarta Post as saying that a pair of Komodo dragons, a male (Modo) and a female (Modi), were chosen in recognition of the Republic's conservation efforts to protect the dwindling number of the rare lizard. Modo and Modi were unveiled last night at a function in Jakarta, to mark the 200-day countdown before the games open on Nov 11 in Palembang. The Komodo dragons, the largest lizard in the world, only live on the Indonesian islands of Komodo in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. On Jan 15, Inasoc unveiled its logo, a Garuda eagle, to symbolize the power and grandeur of Indonesia. Indonesia dominated the Games between 1977, when it first competed, and 1997, failing to top the medal charts only twice in that p...
1 comment
Read more