Youth and Sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin has promised to unleash Malaysia’s next batch of sporting talents as preparations for Tokyo 2020 get underway.
Khairy was in Rio de Janeiro over the last one week as Malaysia produced its best ever performance at an Olympic Games. Five medals were won from three different sports, with badminton alone contributing three silver medals.
But the former FAM Vice-President knows it’s time to close the Rio 2016 chapter and build for the future – claiming that Malaysia has enough fresh talent to challenge the bar that has been set by the current batch of athletes.
“Many people have asked me if we have successors to the present heroes. We do, and they will be coming out of the shadows of present greats during this next Olympic cycle,” Khairy wrote in a column that was published on The Star Online.
“Looking forward to Tokyo, there are a few milestones that need to be set in place. We have four years but we are not beginning from scratch. There are many Rio Olympians who will still be around to challenge for medals in 2020. But they must be joined by emerging athletes.
“Many of these athletes have already been identified and will be breaking through in the next few years in their respective sports’ competitions – the SEA Games next year and the Asian and Commonwealth Games in 2018,” he added.
The 40 year-old Member of Parliament for Rembau also confirmed that he is willing to sacrifice 50% of his ministry and allow ‘sports’ to be based under the tutelage of the Education Ministry as he believes it would help improve our grassroots development systems across all sports.
“We also have to accept that sports development largely revolves around the schooling system in Malaysia and is not club-based like other countries. This is why my recommendation to the Prime Minister would be to give sports to the Education Ministry,” Khairy explained.
“Many countries combine education and sports at the ministerial level. I think it would improve coordination, save money, open up and improve facilities, and create a smooth pathway from schools to elite sports development.
“When many ministries and departments want to make themselves bigger, I choose to swim in the Blue Ocean and offer up half my ministry because ultimately it’s not about departmental turf but getting the job done better and more effectively,” he added.
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