2012 London Olympics: RM16m boost for Olympic hopefuls

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (right) and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek at the Prime Minister’s Department in Putrajaya yesterday.


2009/09/09

Ajitpal Singh

THE government has allocated a RM16 million budget to prepare 19 athletes from four sports -- badminton, archery, cycling and diving -- for the 2012 London Olympics. The budget will cover all preparation for these athletes ahead of the Olympics which includes exposure, coaching, conditioning and scientific elements.

Cabinet Committee for Sports chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said these athletes will be given full support by the government to prepare for the Olympics.

"They will be depended upon to deliver Malaysia's elusive gold medal in London. However, 19 is not a fixed number as we may add more athletes and sports under the programme," said Muhyiddin after chairing the committee meeting for the first time at the Prime Minister's Department in Putrajaya yesterday.

"We hope that everyone, including the public, will give full support to these athletes. I believe the support from the government will also help promote these sports among youngsters."

The athletes under the 'Road To London' programme are World No 1 Lee Chong Wei, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, Fairuzizuan Tazari-Zakry Latif, Wong Mew Choo, Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui (badminton), Cheng Chu Sian, Marbawi Sulaiman, Wan Khalmizam Wan Abd Aziz, Nazrin Aizat Abd Rahim (archery), Azizul Hasni Awang, Rizal Tisin, Josiah Ng, Junaidi Nasir, Edrus Yunus (cycling), Leong Mun Yee and Pandelela Rinong (diving).

Diving was recently added into the programme after Mun Yee-Pandelela won the 10-metre platform synchronised bronze medal in the World Championships in Rome, two months ago.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee for Sports also reviewed the National Sports Policy (NSP) yesterday and jointly agreed that a new policy will be implemented to complement the current economic and social development in this country.

In principle, the new policy is to promote a sporting culture, enhance social integration and also create economic opportunities through sports.

Muhyiddin, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, said an improvised version of the NSP will be presented to the Cabinet soon.

"We want to make sports a culture and industry in Malaysia. Under the new policy, sports will be promoted extensively. We want to repackage sports to make it more attractive to the public," he said.

He added that the committee will also propose to the Cabinet to review the Institutions of Higher Learning Policy to give more flexibility to athletes to complete their studies.

"We want to produce thinking athletes by creating more flexibility for them to complete their degree programmes. Our vision is to have 30 per cent of our national athletes studying in public universities," said Muhyiddin, who confirmed that the Asia University Sports Council will also be set up in Kuala Lumpur soon.