KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 — The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS), via the National Sports Council (NSC), will conduct a review to see if there is a need to revamp the allocation of grants for sports development programmes, especially those with unsatisfactory performance.
Its minister Hannah Yeoh said four of the programmes are the National Football Development Programme (NFDP), the National Netball Development Programme (NNDP), the National Rugby Development Programme (NRDP), and the National Hockey Development Programme (NHDP).
"At the NSC level, we have NFDP, NNDP, NRDP, and NHDP; every year, these four sports have received grants from the NSC for talent development at the grassroots level.
"But many other sports have asked (for the grant), and times have changed (and) now we have a committee in the NSC to study whether the budget is sufficient or not, or if there is a need to revamp (or) add (and) that is being scrutinised,” she said.
Yeoh was speaking to the press after officiating the launch of the four-day 72nd Gurdwara Cup and Sikh Games, which began today.
Earlier, she announced a RM50,000 provision under the minister's allocation to the Kuala Lumpur Sikh Sports and Recreation Club, in addition to the RM38,000 Sports Matching Grant (GPS) to organise the 72nd edition of the Games.
Yeoh also reiterated the government's stance to focus on talent development models for combat sports, athletics and swimming, which have the potential to contribute medals to the country.
On May 30 last year, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said a high-level committee had been established to focus on these three sports, involving cooperation from KBS, the Higher Education Ministry, and the Education Ministry.
Olympic Council of Malaysia president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria has backed KBS's decision to do just that by ensuring allocation is given based on the key performance indicator, especially when Malaysia is expected to host the 2027 SEA Games.
"In terms of allocation, surely it is the right of the KBS or NSC, and since the NSC is using government money, they need to think of the returns from the sports involved,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur Sikh Sports and Recreation Club chairman Datuk Baldev Singh Kailay expressed their appreciation to the KBS and hoped the Games would produce more young athletes.
This year's edition, the biggest since its inauguration in 1952, will be attended by 1,000 participants in seven sports — hockey, football, badminton, netball, golf, darts, and snooker.
— Bernama
