KUALA LUMPUR – Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Ja’afar expressed his concern that the sports industry has not been given the same attention as education, particularly in schools.
Speaking to The Vibes, Tunku Imran said that the Education Ministry should play a greater role in promoting sports among students as they spend most of their time in school.
“I think what the government is currently doing is commendable, where we have a pool of talent to represent the country every year.
“However, greater focus should be given towards elementary, primary, and secondary schools because we need to create a sporting culture as a community, not just for national representation,” he said.
Tunku Imran, who served as Olympic Council of Malaysia president from 1998 to 2018, highlighted that not much attention has been given to sports. A good example is when a new cabinet is named.
“One of my major disappointments is that whenever the government announces the list of the new ministries in the cabinet, the Youth and Sports Ministry is (more often than not) mentioned at the bottom of the list,” he added.
Tunku Imran also compared the importance given to sports in foreign countries as opposed to here.
“Take Britain, Australia and New Zealand for example. Sports is given the same importance as academics because they understand that sports are very much part of life and culture as it contains all the values that attribute to teamwork, respect, fair play and understanding of the rules.
"All in all, why these countries are so good at sports is because their sporting culture is so strong even at the grassroots level,” he added.
Going back to 40 years ago, Tunku Imran reflected that sports development in the country is significantly different today. It is as if the Education Ministry has gradually neglected the participation of students in sports over the years.
He told The Vibes, “Most people who have been involved in the (sports) field for 40 years or more would remember that we used to have teachers who were dedicated to sports, no matter the overtime because not only did they have tremendous interest in the education of a child but also realised that sports are an important element in education too.
“Sports is not just about improving one’s morality but also health. It has something to do with values that you carry through in life, like being able to be a good loser as well as a winner, or being able to follow as well as lead.”
Tunku Imran, who is also the Malaysia Cricket Association (MCA) patron attended the Memorandum of Agreement signing ceremony between HELP University and the MCA on Thursday, which offers scholarships to qualified national cricketers to pursue foundation, diploma, degree or master’s programmes of their choice.
HELP University vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Paul Chan said the university aspires to be a centre for cricket excellence that supports its progress and advancement.
“This initiative strengthens and sustains our enviable history of being the university of choice for young and talented local and international athletes to not only excel in their tertiary education but also achieve their sporting ambitions,” he said.
MCA president Mohammed Iqbal Ali Kassim Ali, meanwhile, said he sees hope in being able to positively shape the trajectory of the national players’ future which would augur well not only for them but also their families and nation. – The Vibes. September 4, 2021.
