KUALA LUMPUR: The 2021 National Sports Day (HSN2021) that will be celebrated nationwide in a hybrid manner tomorrow invites the "Malaysian Family" to face the health challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic through active lifestyle practices.

This is because the aim of the HSN2021 is to encourage the "Malaysian Family" to implement fitness-based sports activities as well as to engage in recreational activities towards making Malaysia a sporting nation.

Although the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), as the leader in youth and sports development efforts in the country, has always provided various sports culture initiatives among the community, the sports culture is actually everyone's responsibility.

Everyone, irrespective of race, culture and religion, has a role to play in creating a sports culture, thus help reduce the risk of disease in society as the country is expected to enter the endemic phase by the end of this month.

The HSN2021 has four basic plans. Firstly, to raise awareness on the importance of active lifestyle practices, although the country is still in the midst of the pandemic, by making sports activities and fitness a daily routine to improve the health of the people.

Secondly, to increase community involvement and participation in sports activities towards a comprehensive sports culture.

The HSN2021 also aims to enhance and invigorate the spirit of unity among the people of various races so as to continue to be united in remaining active and healthy as the country heads towards recovery from the pandemic.

Lastly, it's to encourage national economic growth through the development of the sports industry, which encourages the people to continue to be involved in sports through the purchase and sale of sports goods while providing support to the ecosystem of the sports and recreational sector.

The KBS is targeting the involvement of 2.5 million people in taking part in sports and recreational activities in conjunction with the nationwide HSN2021, with families, children women, youths, persons with disabilities (PwD) and senior citizens being the target groups.

Apart from health and fitness centres, the HSN2021 will also target rural areas, educational institutions, housing estates and workplaces in the implementation of the annual celebration.

In conjunction with HSN2021, the KBS has planned several national-level online programmes and the most eye-catching is the Mega Aerobic Challenge (MAC), which is a five-hour non-stop aerobic programme involving seven types of aerobics variations.

Apart from that, the HSN21 Fit and Active programme is also one of the main attractions as the programme, handled by several certified fitness trainers like Kevin Zahri, Nana Al-Haleq and Atilia Harun, was well-received, garnering 1.5 million viewers in the first and second series that were implemented in June and July.

Three more programmes planned by the KBS are the HSN21 Virtual Run, HSN21 Fitness Challenge and HSN21 Fit and Active Family, which all have their own plus points.

For the record, the first edition of the HSN that was held in 2015 made it into the Malaysia Book Of Records (MBOR) for the Organisation of the Most Number of Sports Activities in One Day, with a total of 17,648 sports activities attracting the overall participation of over five million people.

The HSN could not be celebrated last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

-- BERNAMA