PUTRAJAYA: The National Sports Council (MSN) has called on national athletes to repay the trust placed in them by the government, which provided an allocation of RM154 million for sports development, by displaying good performance and discipline.
MSN director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail (pix) hopes that the national athletes will increase their efforts to achieve excellence, especially when they compete in the Cambodian SEA Games from May 5-17 and the Hangzhou Asian Games in China from Sept 23 to Oct 8, next year.
“MSN is very grateful to the government for recognising our achievements. What has been given with the state of economic recovery is now very sufficient, God willing we will continue our efforts that we are responsible for.
“We now have 196 back-up athletes and 36 full-time coaches. With this guarantee (allocation), we may add a few more athletes to the back-up athletes programme, while those who are 50-50 may be reconsidered,“ he said when met after the opening ceremony of the National Sports Day 2022 (HSN22) celebration here today.
He said any decisions related to the selection, evaluation and dropping of athletes from the Podium and Back-up programmes would be made collectively during the Executive Committee meeting which is also attended by representatives of the National Sports Institute (ISN), national sports associations, the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) and the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (MPM).
Commenting further, Ahmad Shapawi also confirmed that the planning for the SEA Games and the Asian Games have been completed and that the process of preparing the athletes is ongoing according to the defined phases.
“We have readying a small group of athletes who will go to the Asian Games, and the back-up athletes will shoulder the challenge at the SEA Games together with other senior athletes.
“Maybe after the Asian Games, the group will continue their efforts for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, it is an ongoing process. The reduction or addition of athletes to the programmes depends on the current assessment and the targets set,“ he said.
He also reminded the country's heroes and heroines to always be careful and follow the advice of coaches and sports science experts at all times, to avoid the risk of serious injuries ahead of major sporting events.
Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz when tabling Budget 2023 in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday announced an allocation of RM322 million for sports development, including RM145 million to maintain, upgrade and build sports facilities nationwide.
A total of RM13 million is allocated for e-sports; RM12 million for sports development of Persons with Disabilities (OKU) and RM5 million to the National Athletes Welfare Foundation (YAKEB).
Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had launched the National Sports Vision (VSN) 2030 in conjunction with the HSN 2022 celebration in front of the Palace of Justice here.-Bernama
