KUALA LUMPUR:The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) has no objection for high-performance or elite athletes at the national level, including the national tenpin bowling squad, to undergo training during the current Movement Control Order (MCO) 2.0 period.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, said the national bowling squad has been given the exemption to undergo training using the sports bubble or quarantine-based approaches although the bowling centres have yet to be allowed to operate.

“For elite athletes under the National Sports Council (NSC) programme, there is no problem for them to continue training. For the public, it is still not allowed as there is a tendency for them to go bowling for leisure and most bowling centres are located in shopping complexes.

“We are opening up the sports that have an impact on the public and livelihood, and direct impact on fitness and health. Sports that are related to leisure can come in next phases,” he told Bernama when met yesterday.

The media has previously reported that the national bowling squad’s training has been affected again as bowling centres, including training venues located in shopping complexes, were closed due to the implementation of the MCO 2.0 starting Jan 13.

Meanwhile, NSC director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail explained that the national bowling squad had chosen to leave the quarantine-based training camp while the MCO 2.0 was being implemented last month.

“The bowling squad has requested to leave the camp on the assumption that the MCO would end in two weeks, but it has been extended. We will wait until Feb 18 to see whether the MCO is extended again or not.

“If it is extended, we will discuss again with the MTBC (Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress) and will resume the training using the sports bubble approach. The athletes are required to stay at NSC’s accommodation and we will provide special vehicles for them to go to the training centre and return,” he said.

The government has previously decided to extend the implementation of the nationwide MCO for two weeks from Feb 5 to 18.

The MCO 2.0 was first gazetted on Jan 13.

-- BERNAMA