LOCAL sports associations have welcomed Johor’s move to tighten regulations for sporting events, saying it will enhance safety and professionalism.
Association representatives said the proposed Johor Sports Event Policy would ensure competitions were conducted according to proper procedures while safeguarding athletes, organisers and spectators.
Johor Basketball Association secretary Wong Young Ling described the policy as an important step towards professionalising sports in the state.
“Requiring events to be officially sanctioned will help protect athletes by ensuring competitions meet the necessary safety requirements before they can proceed.
“Although it may not be easy for some sports associations to meet all the proposed requirements, I believe they can adapt if given some flexibility during the implementation period,” he said after a dialogue with state sports association representatives at Bangunan Dato’ Jaafar Muhammad in Kota Iskandar, Iskandar Puteri.
Johor Silambam Association president M. Rathanam said decentralising approvals to the state level would shorten processing time for organisers.
“Previously, getting an event sanctioned could take four to five months as applications had to be processed by the national association,” he said.
“If state associations are given the authority, approvals can be issued much faster.”
Rathanam said event sanctioning was more than an administrative requirement, as it would ensure organisers met the necessary safety standards before competitions were held.
Johor Weightlifting Association deputy president Mazlan Mohd Salleh welcomed the proposal to delegate sanctioning powers to state associations, saying it would expedite the approval process.
He said this would help associations plan their programmes and budgets more effectively while upholding safety standards during competitions.
“With proper planning, sufficient funding and the assurance that competitions are conducted safely, more young talents will be encouraged to showcase their abilities,” he said.
Earlier, Johor youth, sports, entrepreneur development and cooperatives committee chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah said the Johor Sports Event Policy was introduced in response to concerns over unsanctioned sporting events.
The concerns intensified following the death of a 12-year-old pupil during a football tournament in Johor Baru last month.
Police classified the case as sudden death.
Mohd Hairi said the proposed policy would require organisers of major sporting events to be sanctioned by relevant sports association and the Johor State Sports Council (MSNJ).
It would also introduce minimum requirements such as medical personnel, insurance coverage, qualified technical officials and emergency response plans.
Mohd Hairi said representatives from 39 state sports associations had agreed to delegate sanctioning powers from national sports associations to their respective state bodies.
He said the move would expedite approvals, which were currently handled by national bodies, based mainly in Kuala Lumpur.
