Melaka in search of potential PwD athletes

MELAKA – The Melaka Youth and Sports Department are actively searching for potential athletes among people with disabilities (PwD) to be trained and eventually represent the state and country in future paralympic games.

Its director Khairul Adri Rosli said the search for new talents covers various sports fields and training, workshops, exposure and disabled sports development clinics which will be carried out with the cooperation of the National Sports Council, Melaka Disabled Sports and Recreation Association and other associations involved in PwD.

He said such efforts would serve as a platform for the disabled to discover and hone their talent in the field of sports and not make self-deficiency an obstacle for them to succeed in life.

“At the 2022 Malaysia Para Games, our athletes collected nine gold medals out of the 40 medals that the Melaka contingent had won. Therefore, the search for new PwD talent is important to ensure that our reserves have the potential in certain fields.

“They will undergo certain tests at selected hospitals to assess and identify their fitness levels and abilities before training is given to hone their talents,” he told reporters here today.

Khairul said this after attending the opening of the state-level Inspire Active PwD Sports Carnival officiated by the Youth Development, Sports and Non-Governmental Organisations Committee chairman V. P. Shanmugam.

He said PwDs who are involved in the new talent programme will be given free training and they will not be imposed fees to identify their fitness level or ability in the sports field that they are interested in.

“We will also provide coaches and facilities for PwDs who are interested and have sports potential. We look forward to the cooperation of parents and the associations to help bring the group in for further assessment,” he said.

Earlier, he said the three-day state-level carnival was held in conjunction with the World PwD Day and was divided into three segments, namely sports, active lifestyle and interactive.

He said the carnival was organised to produce active and healthy PwDs, especially in any sports that they may be interested in. – Bernama, December 3, 2022