KUALA LUMPUR — The Youth and Sports Ministry is undertaking a strategic approach to investing in high-performance sports, such as rugby, as resources are limited.
National Sports Institute (NSI) chief executive officer Faedzal Md Ramli explained that such practice is also seamlessly being applied by the National Sports Council, under the administration of the ministry, to shape the nation’s sports landscape.
“With the resources that we currently possess, we can’t invest in 50 to 60 sports at the same time.
“The government’s approach should be very strategic when they invest so when we evaluate each sport, we can probably map out the quality of the athletes as high-performance sports is a different element.
“It’s important to recognise that developing sports like rugby requires significant time and resources to become competitive,” he said.
Faedzal also underscored the significance of the Podium Programme as a stable foundation for athletes in major international championships.
“For rugby to aspire to be included in major events like the Asian Games and Olympics, retaining athletes in the Podium Programme is absolutely pivotal.
“This serves as the cornerstone for meeting the stringent criteria required for participation,” added Faedzal when met at Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) Premier Sevens launch here, today.
Faedzal praised grassroots tournaments like the MCKK Premier Sevens for their vital role in developing rugby talent in Malaysia.
He explained that these tournaments are crucial for identifying and nurturing young rugby players from a young age.
“They not only teach technical skills but also important values like teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship.
“Platforms like this are really important for the future of our Malaysian rugby team as they help bring in and nurture young talents,” added Faedzal.
In the current Asian Games, the men’s rugby sevens tournament will be held at the Hangzhou Normal University Cangqian Athletics Field in Hangzhou, China, from September 24 to 26, 2023.
Malaysia is grouped in Group B with Chinese Taipei and South Korea.
Malaysia’s best achievement in the Games came in the 2010 edition in Guangzhou where they finished fifth. — September 21, 2023