PUTRAJAYA — Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said she shares the view of former Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) secretary-general Datuk Nazifuddin Najib that reforms are needed in Malaysia’s grassroots sports system.
Fadhlina acknowledged the need to address structural issues highlighted by Nazifuddin, especially the lack of development in physical education within schools.
She also backed his suggestion for comprehensive policy changes that would create more opportunities for young athletes.
“We appreciate and are thankful for the valuable input (from Datuk Nazifuddin). His perspective on the limitations of the current system and the importance of early sports exposure resonates with MoE’s efforts to strengthen the grassroots sports infrastructure,” she said after the MOE-MSSM-Milo Sports Awards here, today.
“We are committed to working closely with relevant stakeholders to create a more robust sports ecosystem for Malaysia.”
In his last press conference before resigning as OCM secretary-general on April 19, Nazifuddin pointed out that Malaysia’s talent development is being held back by outdated systems and a lack of political commitment.
He urged for policy changes, emphasising that the country’s dependence on elite institutions like the National Sports Council (NSC) and sports schools is not enough.
Meanwhile, Dania Sofea Zaidi, who received the Best Female Athlete award and is an emerging badminton talent from Johor, supported the call for more targeted training opportunities in government schools.
Reflecting on her time at Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS), Dania noted the significant differences between her training at a regular national school and her experience at a sports school.
“There’s a huge difference in terms of training when you’re in a regular national school compared to a sports school,” Dania said.
“In regular schools, PJ (Physical Education) was only once or twice a week at most, and I trained after school hours at a private academy. But at BJSS, I trained twice a day.
“If this kind of training was available in all schools, our talent pool would be massive.”
Dania’s comments align with Nazifuddin’s call for systemic changes, emphasising that access to consistent and structured training could drastically improve the development of young athletes across the country. – April 29, 2025