Malaysia looks to take dodgeball to SEA, Asian Games

SEPANG –The Malaysia Association of Dodgeball (MAD) is not stopping at world championships, and instead is preparing to have the sport included in the Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games.

To prove that the sport is worthy of being contested in international multi-sports events, MAD president Datuk V. Radhakrishnan said the association is launching a 10-year plan, commencing next year.

With Malaysia being the pioneer in Southeast Asia, MAD has begun to initiate discussions with neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore to get them to start their own leagues.

“They (neighbouring countries) have dodgeball teams but no leagues.

“This is going to be a huge responsibility for us as the pioneer of dodgeball in Southeast Asia. 

“We have come to a point where dodgeball has been recognised internationally and other countries respect us (for our achievements),” Radhakrishnan said when met by reporters after welcoming the team home from Canada at Kuala Lumpur International Airport here today. 

Also welcoming the team home were Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker and National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail. 

The Malaysian dodgeball squad won the men’s World Dodgeball Championships gold medal for the third time after beating Australia 10-5 in Edmonton, Canada on September 5.

The Malaysian men’s team, ranked No. 1 in the world, also emerged champions in 2017 and 2018.

Radhakrishnan said that it is vital to lift dodgeball to the next level as it will help elevate the reputation of the sport.

“Recently, the council has also come up with a 10-year plan to bring dodgeball to the next level.

“With the support of the (youth and sports) ministry and NSC, we will promote this sport in a bigger way.

“Now we have it (dodgeball sport) in schools and universities, but if everything goes as planned, maybe we could also include dodgeball in Sukma one day, followed by the SEA Games and Asian Games,” he said.

Radhakrishnan also announced that Malaysia will host the Asia Pacific Championships in April next year.

To date, 30 teams have confirmed their participation.

Meanwhile, Carlos Goonting, who was named most valuable player, described the triumph as the icing on the cake.

“Being a world champion comes with a big responsibility because it is not all about being flashy with all the gold medals we have earned. 

“It is hard to say how many more years we will be able to compete, but hopefully, we get to inspire younger generations to be as good or better than us by the time we retire,” Carlos said. – The Vibes, September 14, 2022