THE country’s worst performance on the international stage in two decades, on the back of massive investments of public funds, is driving a total revamp of the system.
But ill-performing national sports associations (NSAs) need not worry because more funds are coming their way, specifically for talent identification and development.
That is if Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s proposal for additional funds to be injected on top of a sustained level of funding for elite and high performance programmes under the National Sports Council (NSC), is approved by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Najib will announce the 2015 budget today.
“The budget will be big. But I hope that our request for an additional budget, specifically for talent identification and development, is approved,” said Khairy.
“This is on top of what is required for the national programmes under the NSC and National Sports Institute (NSI).
“This is from what we have learned from the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
“Among our main weaknesses are in the areas of talent identification and development.”
This means a more concerted effort geared towards the grassroots, which will see talent identification and development kicking off for children as young as seven.
The 19 core sports are set to gain from this project, beginning with athletics, which will be the first programme to be kicked off.
This is while an ongoing overall review, with input from experts hired from the Western Australian Institute of Sports (WAIS) to identify areas of weaknesses, is completed.
“We will decide on where this budget is to be channeled after these studies are completed.”
Khairy was speaking after the flag-handing ceremony to the 199-strong national contingent for the Asian Para Games in Incheon at the NSC yesterday.
Also present were former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his wife Tun Jean Abdullah.
Despite Khairy admitting an audit report of the NSAs providing a “depressing read”, the national bodies are expected to become active partners in the programmes to be introduced.
“We ultimately will have to work with the NSAs. They will provide the coaches at junior level, the competitions and they will have to provide us with the roadmap on how these talents will become elite athletes,” said Khairy.
Asked whether the continued spoon feeding of NSAs is acceptable, Khairy denied that is the case.
“It is not so much spoon feeding. We are going to do it together with them, they have to be active partners.
“The NSAs themselves must be capable of pulling their weight.
“We have to sit down with them and tell them to focus on work that needs to be done, can they stop bickering and I have to have a heart-to-heart sit down with them.
“The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) recently did an audit on the strength and governance of all the NSAs. I have the report and I must say it is a depressing read.”
Though the NSC has borne the brunt of criticism following dismal performances at the Commonwealth and Asian Games, with director general Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong likely to be replaced, the NSAs have mostly escaped being held accountable.
Khairy, in saying he would make an announcement on Zolkples when the decision is made, added that the NSAs can only be held accountable by the government in terms of funding, but not in terms of appointment or performances of office bearers.
“In terms of funding, yes we can hold them accountable. Like in the case of the MNCF (Malaysian National Cycling Federation), we hold them accountable for public funds they spend, to the extent that they are on the brink of suspension.”