ALOR STAR: Grassroots accessibility for squash must be emphasised along with the development of world-class athletes, says Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
Yeoh said that the inclusion of squash in the Los Angeles Olympics games in 2028 has the country's squash community urging the development of squash athletes for Olympic glory.
However, she stressed the need for a holistic approach to the sport's development to ensure the country cultivates athletes capable of achieving the goals.
"I believe the squash community is gearing up for the Olympics to capture gold, but accessibility to the sport is paramount. If our focus is solely on winning medals in squash, it becomes unrealistic to scout talent nationwide.
"Hence, the development of facilities at the grassroot levels must progress hand in hand with the sport's top athletes development," she told reporters after the handover ceremony of the Kedah Squash Centre to the state government today.
The Kedah Squah Centre cost RM10.8 million and was fully completed on August 20, featuring four air-conditioned courts and four fan-cooled courts.
Its establishment came after the state government submitted a request to the Youth and Sports Ministry in 2016.
Yeoh said that the new squash facility will host training programmes for 71 squash athletes in the state.
"They now have more comfortable facilities, doubling the capacity of the old training facilities. I hope talent development programmes can run smoother, and with the increased capacity, we can bring in more athletes for training," she added.
Commenting further, Yeoh hoped that the state government would maintain the facility, fostering collaboration in the development of the sport together.
"With the addition of these facilities, I believe Kedah can now organise more tournaments next year, given they now have first-class facilities," she added.