Time for high-level committee to audit role of sports schools

WHEN our strategic thinkers in Malaysian sports felt schools were no longer the main breeding ground of champions, the idea of establishing sports schools was mooted to ensure the conveyor belt keeps on running smoothly outside the existing system.

Since its inauguration in January 1996, the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) has helped to produce 59 Olympians.

Eighteen athletes from the 30-man contingent to the most recent Olympic Games – the 32nd Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020 held in 2021 – were products of BJSS as opposed to only seven athletes in Sydney 2000.

The cream of the crop features Datuk Azizulhasni Awang, winner of one silver in Tokyo 2020 and one bronze in Rio de Janeiro 2016, Datuk Pandelela Rinong, silver medallist in 2016 and bronze in 2012, Goh Liu Ying, one half of the silver medal winning mixed doubles pair in 2016 and Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, bronze medallists in 2020 and world champions in the men’s doubles category in 2022.

In the last three editions of the Olympic Games, athletes schooled in BJSS contributed a total of seven medals.

Other notable names include Datuk Leong Mun Yee, Cheong Jun Hoong, and Nur Dhabitah Sabri (diving), Farah Ann Abdul Hadi (artistic gymnastics), Tan Wee Kiong and Goh V Shem (badminton), Mohd Hafifi Mansor (weightlifting) and Lee Hup Wei and Nauraj Singh (track and field) as well as footballers Mohd Safee Sali, Safiq Rahim, Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed and twins Mohd Aidil Zafuan and Mohd Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak.

Not to be outdone, the Tengku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (TMISS) which began operations in January 1998, boasts big names in Malaysian sports as its products are notably SEA Games gold medallists Khairul Hafiz Jantan and Haiqal Hanafi, Khairul Fahmi Che Mat, Mahalli Jasuli, Gary Steven Robbat and Mohd Fadhli Shas (football); Razie Rahim, Firhan Ashaari, Shukri Mutalib, Faiz Helmi Jali, Shahril Saabah (hockey); Yu Peng Kean (fencing). Majority of the team that emerged as runners-up in the inaugural FIH Hockey 5s World Cup were also products of the Bandar Penawar school.

Three other sports schools are in Gambang, Pahang, which was established in 2012 and Sabah, fully operational since 2013 and Terengganu, already almost decade in existence.

There is no doubting the noble aim of providing a balanced mix of education and sports for potential world beaters at these schools but the time has come for a review of their role and whether the culture, programme and infrastructure as well as the human capital are suited to maintain the supply chain of elite sports performers.

With the powers vested into them, the High-Level Committee (HLC) between the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS), Education Ministry (MoE) and Higher Education Ministry (MoHE) may consider conducting an in-depth study on the sports schools.

Among other things, HLC may look into:

● The student to teacher ratio

# number of sports at the present five schools and 15 States Sports Schools

● Remuneration of teachers and coaches

● Accreditation and qualification of the coaches

● Potential collaboration with active clubs and daily schools that produce athletes

● Role of BJSS in the scheme of things

The HLC are well placed to decide the future of sports at grassroots level. Having successfully reclassified combat sports such as wushu and karate as sports instead of uniformed unit at schools, the HLC have to revisit the vision and mission of the national sports schools in order to maintain their reason for being.

It is pertinent for the HLC to study the existing eco-system and consider collaborating with clubs that are active on the ground and the daily schools that continue to produce athletes outside the sports school system and why once the National Sports Council (NSC) toyed with the idea of taking over BJSS.

Financial grant may be disbursed to schools and teachers who work tirelessly to nurture champions on their own.

HLC may also look into utilising independent clubs such as the Royal Selangor Club and Kelab Aman that possess the facilities and coaches to create under-age competitions, the lifeblood of high-performance sports.

Granted the governance of sports should not be shouldered by any one entity, but a multitude of minds working in resonance, pushing the executors and implementors towards a common cause, is key to the future.