IN the words of Nelson Mandela, “Sports has the power to build character and unite a nation, as little else does”. In the face of troubling reports of youths getting into trouble with – and even losing their lives to – Mat Remit activities, vaping, drugs, and gangsterism, I believe an all- inclusive, rigorous sports programme can help.
Not only will such a programme build young leaders of high purpose and healthy minds and bodies, it would also help to replenish the ranks of our retiring star athletes. As it stands now, there seems to be little done to scout for top tier talents and target them early on with the specialised training they need to fulfil their potential. A massive grassroots development programme like this is necessary to jar our sporting system out of its decades-long downward spiral.
This kind of undertaking requires a substantial allocation of federal funds to initiate, with supportive funding from each state to sustain its progress. Spearheading the plan should be the Youth and Sports Minister, along with a team of Road to Gold’s former national and international champion athletes.
The programme should also include cutting-edge training for all coaches and physical education teachers. Adding to that could be community-sponsored clinics and weekend sporting events, such as the hugely successful Young Talents Track and Field event in Ipoh and Kelab Olahraga Setiawangsa in Selangor.
These types of sporting groups should be in every community, with talent scouts attending and assessing the star-quality potential of gifted youngsters. Such candidates should be targeted with the specialised training needed to propel them forward and advance their talent to the regional, state, national, and international levels.
Former UEFA president and French and Juventus football star Michel Platini once said: “Grassroots sports is... an extraordinary catalyst for intermixing and integration.”
It would do a world of good for our multiracial country if there are sports policies encouraging sports associations and private sports outfits, as well as parents, teachers and coaches, to play a prominent role in supporting and organising multicultural sporting activities.
We need our schools’ curricula to encourage multiculturalism in sports, not devise sports programmes that work against integration and the holistic development of each individual’s potential. This would be an opportunity to forge a distinctly Malaysian sports identity across the nation.
S. LUVENRAJ
Miri, Sarawak
