By Zareef Muzammil
SHAH ALAM, Feb 16 — The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) is urged to hasten its decision on athletes who have passed the age limit to compete in the 2022 Sukan Malaysia (Sukma) in Johor.
Selangor State Sports Council (MSNS) executive chairman Mohamad Nizam Marjugi said they are still waiting for the decision from the highest committee to determine which athletes are eligible to represent the state to the biennial games.
“We have yet to receive the ruling (age limit). It is learnt that the committee’s board had a meeting last December but the matter was not decided.
“So we urge them to make a decision and immediately inform us so that we can prepare the athletes,” he said when contacted yesterday.
He said the eligibility requirement is important to give justice to the athletes who have been preparing for two years before the pandemic hit the country.
“We understand the current situation, even though it (Sukma) can be organised, not necessarily next year will be safe. Also for a year, they (athletes) had to undergo irregular and out of the norms training.
“Thus, to get maximum performance results is quite impossible considering the lack of training and preparations such as fitness, physical and skills,” he said.
The 2020 Sukma and Para Sukma in Johor were scheduled to be held in July and August but was cancelled when the Covid-19 pandemic entered its third wave.
Johor was again offered to host the 2022 edition as the state is nearly 99 per cent ready in its preparation of planning, management, technical and games facilities.
The age limit on participation for Sukma games is below 21 years, yet there are sporting events such as gymnastic that set its age limit to under 15.
