KUCHING: National athletes can bring glory to the country on the biggest stage of sporting event like the Olympic, as they polish their talents, skills and believe they can achieve the success.
Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah asserted that Malaysia should focus more emphasis on sports development, while pointing out that event such as the current Olympic Games in Paris can fuel one’s interest in sports.
According to him, the nation needs to hone and polish more talents in the field of sports, taking into consideration the total population in Malaysia.
“One of the ways is for athletes to participate in the Malaysia Games (SUKMA). It is my hope that the National Sports Institute (ISN) together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports can implement a specific programme that will help our athletes to be champions at a higher level.
“This is needed so that they can make Malaysia’s name proud in any tournaments held around the world,” he said during a press conference after officiating the SUKMA Sarawak 2024 Main Media Centre here today.
Touching on the upcoming SUKMA 2024, Abdul Karim expressed his optimism that Sarawak will emerge as the overall champion.
Based on the calculation made, he stated that the state’s contingent needed to win at least 70 gold medals to achieve this goal.
“We set 70 gold medals as the yardstick for us to be the overall champion. But I was told that there are also other states that have placed 70 gold medals as their target also.
“So, I believe they have also made certain calculations. Therefore, if we want to be the overall champion, our athletes have to win at least 70 gold medals.
“Moreover, we also have targeted sports that must deliver gold for the state. Based on that, our estimate in getting the gold medals is possible,” he said.
