Nurturing our budding athletes

 

Malaysia registered its worst ever performance in the history of the SEA Games in terms of its gold medal tally, but the decline in our sports did not happen overnight.

The deterioration started around four decades ago, and we are probably only now experiencing the worst of its consequences.

When Perikatan Nasional’s Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari asked youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh about the poor performance of the Malaysian contingent at the recent SEA Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, she cited “political instability”.

Yeoh is partially right, because several political factors have contributed to the decline in the performance of our athletes. In addition to the frequent change of governments interrupting sports programmes, sports has been “politicised” and suffered from interference from politicians.

Sports, like charity, begins at home and in our schools, but many parents fail to see the importance of sports in the mental and physical development of their children.

Whenever our teams fail to be victorious in a sporting event, the tendency is to blame the athletes.

If the government is serious about producing generations of world-class athletes, then the hard work has to start at the early stage. This involves investing in our schoolchildren and increased funding for sports in schools. More dedicated sports teachers, as well as cheaper and more accessible sporting facilities should be introduced.

We have very few world-class athletes because previous ministers of education and sports lacked direction and failed to increase investment in sporting facilities. If Malaysia is to emulate the success of other nations in producing sportsmen of high calibre, then the answer lies in increased funding for school sports programmes.

Why offer financial rewards to successful athletes once they win gold at international sporting events? It would be better for money to be invested in attracting, nurturing and training a crop of potential champions in schools.

Non-Malay children who excel in certain sports have alleged that they are not picked to represent their school because “the quota for their race has been filled”. If a student shows potential in a particular sport, he should be trained to develop his skills, rather than be rejected because of his race. Racism has done a lot of damage in sports.

Older Malaysians will recall their time in school, when there were dedicated physical education (PE) teachers who were passionate about sports. A good PE teacher can inspire students with potential to achieve their goals.

A few decades ago, it was compulsory for children to choose two sports for their after-school activity, at least twice a week. Today, teachers claim that their time is taken up by administrative and other non-essential work.

The education ministry is intent on children scoring a string of As in exams while neglecting the mental and physical well-being of those who can be developed through sports. Children must be inspired to actively take part in sports, but they cannot do so without adequate equipment and encouragement from their teachers.

What has the ministry done to promote healthy eating in schools? Our school canteens still sell a lot of food with low nutritional value. However, obese children aren’t the only problems we face in schools. High levels of truancy, a lack of aspiration, plus the rise of gangsterism in schools are worrying. Has the ministry tried to engage restless students to take part in sports?

Housing estates rarely have sports facilities or parks. Many roads are dangerous for cyclists. Gyms are too expensive. Public sporting facilities are sparse, inaccessible and costly.

When athletes make allegations of sexual harassment or racism by their coaches, officials drag their feet to conduct an investigation. This failure to punish the perpetrator(s) affects the confidence of athletes.

When deputy youth and sports minister Adam Adli alleged that the sports fraternity is plagued with elements of corruption, Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Norza Zakaria went on the defensive and accused Adam of being unfair and prejudicial.

Has Norza failed to notice that corruption has perpetrated most, if not all, government ministries and many levels of society?

Malaysians are still seething over the senior official who allegedly embezzled RM107 million from the sports ministry. This person has not been named and we do not know if the money was ever recovered. Then youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin refused to go into detail and claimed that the official had been punished.

Nepotism and cronyism still exist in Malaysian sports. Why should a politician or son of a politician head a particular sports body? What are their contributions, or expertise in sports?

Certain politicians will also complain about the attire of female participants. Our athletes do not need this additional pressure.

When our teams fail to produce results, Malaysians should question the government’s commitment to sport. The talent is out there, but first it has to be found, and then nurtured. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.