Ministry to resolve problem of athletes' lack of competitive participation

KUALA LUMPUR: The Youth and Sports Ministry will make efforts to resolve the problem of national athletes' lack of participation in competitive championships.

Minister Hannah Yeoh said this problem was among issues raised at an engagement session with 320 athletes of various sporting backgrounds, who felt that this lack of competitive action had hindered their progress.

"The issue of insufficient exposure to competitive championships was also raised during the engagement session.

"They (athletes) want to be sent for more competitions to improve their performance, apart from gaining more experience," she told reporters after opening the Lawn Bowls Open Fours Championship at Bukit Kiara here today.

Yeoh said the ministry would also look into the issue of high costs for renting sports facilities to organise championships in the country.

"At the engagement session, many sports associations asked for the rentals to be reduced to make it easier for them (to organise tournaments).

"Athletes want more competitions but organisers find the rentals prohibitive, so this problem should be settled together," she added.

She said the ministry was compiling findings from the engagement session and would find the best solutions to problems affecting the sports industry, in collaboration with local government authorities, which have jurisdiction over sports facilities.

-- BERNAMA