Ti: Proposal for eSports, lion dance to be included in official sports list under Sports Development Act

KUALA LUMPUR: eSports and lion dance have been proposed to be added into the list of official sports under the Sports Development Act, says Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker (pic).

The Deputy Youth and Sports Minister said under Table One of the Sports Development Act, eSports and lion dance were not currently listed as a sport.

"We are proposing for amendments to be made so that eSports and lion dance will be categorised as sports under Table One of the Act.

"eSports and lion dance are often seen as recreational activities, but they actually involve the art and discipline of sports and are played competitively.

"It is timely for the amendments to be made as the last time they were done was back in 2000 and 2004, and there are now more sports that should be listed, eSports and lion dance are among them," Ti told reporters after launching the Sungei Wang Plaza Grand New Look at the mall here on Saturday (Jan 15).

The proposal has been submitted to the Sports Commission, which is currently drafting the amendments and will be initiating the amendment process, said Ti.

He added that updating the list of sports is timely as there are a number of sports in Malaysia that are administered by sporting organisations and should be included in the Act.

Earlier, Ti launched the Sungei Wang Plaza Grand New Look and the first edition of the Sungei Wang Plaza National Traditional Lion Dance Competition.

Sungei Wang Plaza, which launched its brand new look after undergoing the fourth massive refurbishment project since 2017, has debuted itself as a "Beauty and Experiental Mall".

The Sungei Wang Plaza National Traditional Lion Dance Competition is the first event being hosted at the mall since it launched the new look.

"It is our plan and believe that all of us wish to see a sustainable development of Sungei Wang Plaza over the succeeding decades. I am proud to witness the achievements by Sungei Wang Plaza and look forward to a long-term partnership in the near future," said Ti.