State committed to grooming athletes after Sukma success

21 July 2010 , By The Star

The Johor government will continue to groom potential athletes in the state through several programs.

Youth and Sports committee chairman Md Jais Sarday said this was in line with the Johor contingent’s recent success at the 13th Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Malacca.

The state collected 40 gold, 39 silver and 53 bronze medals, finishing fourth overall.

“Eight of our athletes had broken Sukma records in weightlifting, archery, shooting and athletics events and these are our athletes best achievement since 24 years ago,” he said in his winding up speech at the state assembly.

“The Johor Sports Council will continue to increase its programmes where our champion athletes will participate in sporting events at local or international events,” he said.

He also said the sports council with the state Education Department would turn the Bandar Penawar Sports School in Kota Tinggi and SMK Tun Hussein Onn in Kluang into sports campuses to train potential young athletes.

“We will also place several of these potential athletes at the Bukit Jalil Sports School to give them exposure,” he said adding that Johor Mentri Besar, Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman had given the assurance that these athletes would be given the support that they needed.

He also said the sports council would have a workshop or a retreat soon to discuss the development of sports in the state and where it was headed.

Md Jais said former sporting greats especially from Johor would join the workshop and discuss ways of making the state a sporting hub for international sporting events according with the development of Iskandar Malaysia.

“The state has vast experience in hosting international sporting competitions in the past such as the Youth Hockey World Cup, Asia Basketball Championship, Iskandar Open Golf Tournament and the Malaysia Open Badminton Gold Series.

“However, the government realises we must have world class sporting infrastructure to attract international sporting organisers to Johor,” he said.

He urged private sectors to come forward and contribute to make the state an international sporting destination.