National Sports Day activities well received: Khairy

Public participation in the activities organised in conjunction with the National Sports Day 2016 (HSN2016) is very encouraging, said Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar.

"I cannot announce the number of total participants yet as I have to see the monitoring report done by the National Sports Day secretariat first.

"On paper, we can say that it achieved the target of 7 million, but I need to get the detailed report early tomorrow morning and it can only be announced tomorrow," he told a press conference after the launching of the National Sports Day 2016, here today.

He said if the targeted amount of 7 million could be reached, the ministry had achieved this year's Key Performance Indicator (KPI).

"The confidence to increase the targeted participants for next year will definitely be high," he said.

The HSN2016 has been targeting 7 million or 20 percent of Malaysians to participate in the variety of activities planned to be held simultaneously nationwide, compared to the 4.2 million people who participated in the same programme last year.

"The National Sports Day should inspire people to take up sports not only for the day but every day. Don't wait for the National Sports Day to indulge in sports," he said.

Khairy said about 30,000 people participated in the programme held here. -- Bernama