KUALA Lumpur will be the venue for the 29th SEA Games and the 9th Asean Para Games in August and September, respectively.
Such sporting events would not be possible or be able to run smoothly without the participation of volunteers.
Volunteers are not only essential, but can make or break a sporting event.
It cannot be denied that one of the contributing factors for the huge success of the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur was the invaluable service provided by the thousands of volunteers. I was one of them.
For the SEA Games in August, I understand that 13,000 volunteers have been chosen to undertake different responsibilities, such as handling protocol, accommodation, food, translation and transport, to name a few.
I must commend the Youth and Sports Ministry and University Kebangsaan Malaysia for conducting training programmes for the volunteers.
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the two-day training programme at the UKM campus.
In addition to equipping the participants with the knowledge they need to carry out their duties (as they are the front-line personnel), the programme also fired up the volunteers to serve the country to the best of their ability.
I found the majority of the participants to be very enthusiastic about doing their part to make the event a success.
There was an air of excitement as well as plenty of camaraderie and teamwork in the training activities.
The participants came from diverse backgrounds. One was 82-year-old Lee Peng Keang and his wife, Chan Choon Tsz, 77, from Taiping. They have been involved in all the major sporting events organised by the country. Syabas to both of them.
While the organisers praised and applauded the volunteers for their service, it is also important that the volunteers are taken care of during training and the event. The organisers must make sure the volunteers feel valued for their efforts and sacrifices.
In this regard, I must say there is plenty of room for improvement.
For instance, the toilet beside the lecture hall was in terrible condition. Only two out of the 10 men’s toilets were useable and there was no toilet paper or liquid soap.
Decent accommodation would ensure a good night’s rest. But the organisers chose to cram 10 people into a three-bedroom apartment with only six single beds and poor bathroom and toilet facilities.
The quality of the food served at the cafeteria can also be improved.
Finally, I was expecting feedback forms, but there were none. Without soliciting feedback from participants, there is likely to be no improvement in the next training course to address concerns and weaknesses.
Overall, however, I would like to give due credit and recognition to the good and hard work by the ministry and UKM in diligently preparing for the country’s two major sporting events this year.
I hope the 29th edition of the SEA Games will be the best-ever held.
POLA SINGH,
Kuala Lumpur