KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should boost funding for talent identification programmes if it is serious about churning out new talent for the future.
That is the view of retired sports science specialist Dr Ahmad Naim Ismail when asked for his views on how Malaysia can improve talent development.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh last week said she would rather see funds being pumped back into the sporting ecosystem and boosting talent production, placing an emphasis on the school system and sports associations, rather than hosting expensive international competitions.
Malaysia recently turned down an offer from the Commonwealth Games Federation to step in as the replacement host for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
"I agree with the minister. Considering the economic situation, it is not a suitable time to host expensive competitions," said Naim when contacted today.
"But regardless of whether we are hosting the Commonwealth Games or not, development must always continue. And to conduct development initiatives, there must be funding.
"Development at the grassroots level is something that must be planned meticulously.
"One important element in development is talent identification. We already have a talent identification programme, however, it is not comprehensive enough.
"This is due to a lack of funding. Conducting talent identification tests on athletes requires money and that has been a stumbling block.
"The talent identification programme must be very comprehensive and involve athletes from all schools in the country. We have to make sure all the fish end up in the net.
"This is the only way we will be able to identify the very best young talent in the country and groom them until they reach their full potential."
Naim said athletes must be given high-quality competition exposure continuously once they reach the high-performance level.
"To become the best in the world, you have to always compete against the best. Experience is not something you can teach," said Naim.
"This is especially important for athletes approaching 18 years of age, those entering university level, as they are developing physiologically.
"Take Japan and Korea for example. They already have a number of football players competing in the top leagues in Europe, such as the Bundesliga, and it has had a positive effect on their teams.
"We need to achieve something similar if we want to be successful at a high level."
Naim cited the 2017 Kuala Lumpur Sea Games gold medal winning rugby team as an example of what athlete development progression should look like.
"The players were identified at the school level and placed at the Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School where they were taught the fundamentals of the game.
"Later on, they were placed at Universiti Putra Malaysia, which has the Rugby Centre of Excellence. They were given a lot of international exposure, including competing in Europe.
"These players, strengthened by some players from other teams, were able to win Malaysia's first gold medal in rugby at the Sea Games."
Naim was associate professor of sports science at Universiti Teknologi Mara and is the former Malaysia Rugby high-performance director.