KHAIRY Jamaluddin has stressed that laying the foundation for long-term success is a key priority for him as the sports minister.
Khairy said his ministry, the education ministry's sports division and himself as the sports minister should be judged on what they achieve in the long run and not in the near future.
"When I met Nicol (David) today (yesterday), I told her I wished that I had become sports minister when she was 22 so I could at least have 10 years of success," said Khairy during his speech at the Sharon Wee Squash Pro Academy 'An Evening with Nicol' at Bukit Jalil yesterday.
"But I became sports minister when Nicol is 30 and although we hope to see many more great years of success from her, we have to look beyond towards the next generation of players.
"My dream is to see Malaysia become a sporting nation where everyone plays a sport.
"It does not matter what sport, or at what level because sports is good for unity, community building and health benefits.
"I want to lay a solid foundation for sports which can deliver medals in 5-10 years.
"When we look back (in the future), we can say it (success) began with development at the grassroots from schools, clubs, and universities.
"We need to get the structure and foundation right. I cannot guarantee success in one or two years.
"It will take at least five years but with a strong foundation at the grassroots, we will be able to find more Nicols and Lee Chong Weis."
Khairy added that development efforts needed support from icons such as Nicol for success. By Fadhli Ishak
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