KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 — National sports associations (NSA) requiring special training facilities for their athletes involved in the Road to Tokyo (RTT) programme have been asked to submit their applications to the Special Ministerial Meeting on the implementation of the movement control order (MCO).
Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said this applied to RTT athletes who needed specific facilities like badminton courts, swimming pools and gymnasiums.
“I suggest that they submit their applications for high-performance sports facilities to the special ministerial meeting chaired by Senior Minister (security cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob after Hari Raya Aidilfitri,” he said in a statement today.
This morning, Reezal held a video conference with representatives of NSAs, who are also stakeholders of the RTT elite training programme, to discuss the latest qualifying process for the Olympics and Paralympics; plans for training programmes; and also programmes carried out by associations, including state-level development programmes.
Reezal also presented guidelines on the standard operating procedure (SOP) developed by the National Sports Council (NSC) and National Sports Institute (NSI) for sports which are allowed to be held during the conditional movement control order (CMCO) period, like golf, athletics and cycling; as well as for sports not allowed to be held during the CMCO but which can conduct training sessions outdoor.
“I have reminded the NSAs to plan together with their athletes, coaches, the NSC and NSI and take the opportunity to expand their existing training programmes by complying with the directives issued by the National Security Council and Health Ministry,” he explained.
The NSAs which joined in on the video conference were from badminton, aquatics, sailing, cycling, karate, gymnastics, golf, para-athletics, archery, powerlifting and boccia.
The interactive session was also attended by Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria, Malaysian Paralympic Council (MPC) president Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin, NSC director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail, NSI chief executive officer Ahmad Faedzal Md Ramli and Olympic Games chef-de-mission Datuk Lee Chong Wei.
— Bernama
