Sports for all programme to include OKU next year - Khairy

The Ministry of Youth and Sports will implement a 'Sports For All' programme that includes People with Special Needs (OKU), starting next year.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaludin said the 'Sports For All' programme was to enable the OKU to participate in the programme at the grassroots level, as an effort to identify talent at the early stage.

"Sports for all programmes have always been there but did not include the OKU participation. So, it is about time to give them the opportunity to be in the programme right at the beginning stage rather than at the elite level.

"I will ask the Youth and Sports Department to prepare a working paper to ensure the implementation of the programme," he told reporters after launching the 1Malaysia Bicycle Ride that included four OKU riders taking part in the event using tandem bicycles, here, Monday.

Khairy said apart from the 1Malaysia Bicycle Ride, numerous world class events have been included in next year's sporting calendar which also happens to be Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

"We have the F1 Grand Prix, Tour de Langkawi, Monsoon Cup, four major golf events, squash, tennis, badminton and a few other notable events. We in the ministry will work closely with the Tourism Ministry to ensure Visit Malaysia Year 2014 is successful," he said.

The two-day 1Malaysia Bicycle Ride which involves a 109km cycling race from Rembau to Rantau is set to enter the Malaysia Book of Records as the Longest Tandem Bicycle ride by a group of vision impaired riders.