IT is good to see Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh being well-received by the various sports bodies and relevant stakeholders related to sports in our country.
Yeoh, as a dedicated and committed minister, went to the ground to speak to various sports associations, athletes, officials and even former youth and sports ministers to get a clearer picture of the operation and administration aspects.
From my perspective as a former national athlete, there are many reasons why Malaysian sports go through periods of distress related to performance.
No doubt there are some exceptions to sporting excellence in certain sports which have brought honour to the country with the retirement of legends such as Datuk Lee Chong Wei (badminton) and Datuk Nicol David (squash).
Why is our sports performance unpredictable?
We have an ineffective youth development programme, with so few top-level athletes that simply cannot produce many elite-level performers.
Our talent pool is not large enough to produce a good number of youngsters who will move up to the next level of the sport.
This means the number of athletes at the grassroots level must be large enough from our school system and our clubs to support our Sports Vision 2030.
Our club-based, youth programmes must be consistent and ongoing.
To make this work, the state sports associations, which spearheaded the creation of sports clubs within the state, must have adequate funds, resources and commercial sponsors to strengthen their sports club system activities and provide opportunities for athletes from the schools for their development.
State and national sports associations that underperform should not be receiving funds from the Youth and Sports Ministry.
They should raise funds and draw up development and competition programmes.
Many state and national sports associations do not have proper records of their members or a competition structure.
Participating in physical education activities in schools improves fitness, strength, endurance, agility, motor skills and posture, develops mental qualities such as alertness and initiative, and teaches our children to accept responsibilities and overcome challenges.
However, obesity is a fast-growing problem in our country even among school-going children, with all the fast food and sweet drinks sold at our school canteens.
Our state and national sports associations need a major revamp.
C. Sathasivam Sitheravellu
Seremban
