KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian athletics great Tan Sri Dr M. Jegathesan believes Malaysia needs to widen its talent pool at the grassroots level if it wants to churn out more champions in the sport.
Jegathesan, who in his prime was the fastest man in Asia, said there has been less emphasis placed on sports in school in recent years which has subsequently affected the amount of talent produced.
"What we have to accept is that excellence in any sport comes through the pyramid principle, which means we must have a very broad base (grasroots talent pool)," said Dr Jegathesan when met today.
"Children need to be given the opportunity to play sports so that their talent can be identified at a young age. If they are not given the opportunity to play sports and show what they are capable of, their talent will be missed.
"No two human beings are the same but each of us has a special talent.
"Some of us are very good at badminton or tennis, somebody else may be a great swimmer, someone else may not be good in sports but could be a great musician or are good at mathematics.
"Once the talent has been identified you must have a system where they will be further developed through coaching and support and be allowed to achieve (success).
"What I believe has happened over the last couple of years is that support for sports has lessened. It is possible that parents and schools are paying more attention to academic matters and so on.
"This (academics) is good. However, I think sports and physical activities also play a very important part of life and is not only an energizer of the public but is also a unifying factor.
"We have to go back to the time when sports was very much an integral part of our school system. Widening the grassroots is very important so we can have a broad base from which we can pick our champions.
"Schools are a product of the Education Ministry so they should be part and parcel of the whole (sports) programme."
At the other end of the spectrum, Dr Jegathesan encouraged high performance athletes to base themselves abroad if they have the opportunity to do so.
Current national sprinters Azeem Fahmi and Shereen Samson Vallabouy have shown encouraging results since moving abroad to study, train and compete in the United States in recent seasons.
"I think he (Azeem) certainly has the talent and is also in the right place. Being in the US will give him the broad base atmosphere, knowledge, competition as well as the motivation to do well," added Dr Jegathesan.
"Another example is Shereen who is also doing very well in the US.
"I myself, before I won gold at the Asian Games, received a three-month scholarship to the US in 1962 courtesy, of the US Embassy here.
"I would say that it was the best part of my early training and made a big difference. I was able to win Malaysia's first Asian Games gold three months after my US trip.
"It (being based abroad), however, must be done in a way where the athletes feel comfortable and can adjust to their environment so they can get the best out of it."
Dr Jegathesan was met at the Milo-Olympic Council of Malaysia sponsorship agreement signing event in Kuala Lumpur today.