Ong (seated, fourth from left) and Kamarzaman (seated, fifth from left) with participants and trainers at the badminton camp.
THE first Malaysian Deaf Sports Association (MSDeaf) badminton camp was off to an encouraging start with 13 boys and girls aged between 10 and 21 years old attending the camp.
Held at the National Paralympic Centre of Excellence in Kampung Pandan over two days, the aim of the camp was to groom new talents, especially those in the Under-21 age group.
Despite the challenges of finding and developing deaf players largely because of the lack of exposure of sports among the deaf community, the camp is a step in the right direction.
On top of receiving badminton tips, participants were also exposed to sports structure in the country and gained understanding of MSDeaf’s role.
MSDeaf secretary-general Ong Shin Ruenn said the camp allowed the association to shortlist and identify potential players to participate in the 5th Asia Pacific Deaf Badminton Championships between Oct 28 and Nov 4 which will be held in Kuala Lumpur.
He said Malaysia had faced a shortage of deaf athletes to fill up the spots in the junior category prior to this.
“We are pleased to inform that the camp was a blessing to our hopes of sending deaf athletes for the Under-21 category for the coming tournament.”
The 13 participants received certificates of participation from MSDeaf president Kamarzaman Harun.
MSDeaf badminton sports development unit head Artika Suraya Ayub, who was responsible for organising the camp, thanked the National Sports Council for supporting the camp by providing training and accommodation to the candidates.
She also expressed hope for more parties to contribute to their cause.
“The younger generation are an asset to the country and they need to be given attention and educated for the benefit of their future.”
For details, email to secgen@msdeaf.org.my
Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.
