KUALA LUMPUR – The Sepak Takraw Association of Malaysia (STAM) is actively working towards streamlining the development of grassroots talent in the country through a workshop spanning today and tomorrow.
The aim of these sessions is to formulate a structured programme dedicated to consistently nurturing talent for the sport.
Representatives from both the National Sports Council (NSC) and the Education Ministry are actively involved in these discussions.
“As we know, talent development and identification starts at school so I’m thrilled that representatives from the Education Ministry are here to join us in this workshop.
“We will work together closely with the Education Ministry and the Youth and Sports Ministry on how to create the National Sepak Takraw Development Programme (NSDP),” said STAM president Datuk Mohd Sumali Reduan at a press conference after the launch of the workshop here today.
Also present was the Education Ministry senior deputy director of Sports, Co-curriculum dan Arts Halim Saad and NSC director of Talent and Women Development Mohd Safrushahar Yusoff.
Safrushahar said there are ongoing sepak takraw development programmes within both the Education Ministry and Sports Ministry.
However, he added that the workshop’s objective is to establish interagency cooperation, consolidating sepak takraw development efforts under a unified NSDP.
“Both the Education and Sports Ministry under the state Sports Council have their development programmes for sepak takraw.
“So we want to figure out how to combine everything into one flow so that all the agencies here cooperate to create a single development programme for the sport,” said Safrushahar.
While no specific timeline has been set for the establishment of the NSDP, Sumali expressed a strong desire for prompt action.
“We need to wait for the resolution paper to be completed first, and after that, we will meet with the NSC director-general (Abdul Rashid Yaakub) and the Sports Ministry to present the NSDP.
“We want this to be done as soon as possible, maybe next year if everything goes right,” he added. – November 26, 2023