Sports industry has potential to grow more rapidly - Adam Adli

PUTRAJAYA: The country's sports industry has the potential to grow more rapidly, but action needs to be taken to ensure that no more damage is caused due to the problem of corruption in addition to determining that the sector is not marginalised in the future, said newly-minted Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim.

He said the national sports arena should be free from any corruption, inefficiency and leakages to raise it to a higher level.

"I'm sure media practitioners who cover sports know this problem very well... it's actually an internal problem because I believe it's not so much about the performance of the athletes.

"We have many world class athletes, not a few who managed to bring gold for the country at international championships, but usually when we go in depth, most of the time there is corruption, so we have to deal with this," he said.

He said this at his first press conference after officially reporting for duty at the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) building here today.

Also present were KBS Deputy Secretary-General (Management) Abdullah Hasan and senior KBS officials.

Asked about the problems being faced by sports associations at the moment, Adam Adli said that all matters will be thoroughly evaluated.

"We are now in the process of transition. The government's overall policy at the moment is to fix the old and make sure that there is no damage in the future," he said

Adam Adli, who is also the Member of Parliament for Hang Tuah Jaya and Angkatan Muda Keadilan (PKR Youth wing) head, was among the 27 deputy ministers who took their oaths of office before Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, at Istana Negara, last Saturday.

-- BERNAMA