THE Ministry of Youth, Sport and Entrepreneur Development will be focusing more on upgrading High Performance Unit with appropriate and latest equipment, qualified personnel and upgrading sports science services.
Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said sports science services are Sports Nutrition, Strength and Conditioning, Performance Analysis, Sports Psychology and Sports Medicine.
“To provide more understanding and effectiveness among our athletes, the high-performance services will go beyond the Senior Elite Programme athletes, that is, to focus as early as on the Development Programme athletes.
“This will give an advantage to our existing development athletes and coaches, to be more equipped for the future challenges,” he said when delivering his winding up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Wednesday (Nov 30).
Meanwhile, Abdul Karim said in preparing Sarawak for Sukma 2024, the ministry, through the Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC), had developed more aggressive and special programmes to focus on selected athlete pools for Sarawak.
“This programme will provide qualified and experienced coaches plus strategic training programmes to produce quality back-up athletes.
“Other initiatives are, intensifying the base with opening more centres for the Beginner’s Elite Programme (PEP). The focus of these centres is to identify potential athletes.
“The centres are not only centralised in urban areas but also in rural areas such as Kapit, Baram, Belaga, Betong, Daro, Lubuk Antu and Gedong.”
He said his ministry was also looking into athlete welfare, whereby they could continue their studies in both local and overseas universities and colleges without interrupting their training programmes.
He added that a total of 69 former athletes had engaged in future coaching programmes with SSC and other states in Malaysia.
“While 26 of our former athletes have been accepted into local companies. For those athletes pursuing future studies, my ministry has assisted 180 athletes at local universities.”
