KUALA LUMPUR – In the realm of Malaysian sports, a pivotal question has emerged, casting a spotlight on whether Budget 2024 – to be tabled on October 13 (Friday) at the Dewan Rakyat – should allocate more funds to the Youth and Sports Ministry.
This discussion comes on the heels of Malaysia’s recent achievement in the recently concluded Hangzhou Asian Games, where the contingent clinched a total of 32 medals.
Speaking to Scoop, sports analyst Mohd Sadek Mustaffa emphasised the need for consistent funding for the development of Malaysian athletes to ensure their progress continues into the future.
“I believe that the government should be consistent with the allocation for sports for the next five years.
“The allocation should mainly focus on the athletes’ preparation for the 2024 Paris and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“At the same time, it’s also hard to predict whether the government would be able to allocate the same amount as the previous year, but I hope the ministry makes good use of the allocation based on a 1:3 ratio, with 1 for the ongoing Road to Gold (RTG) programme and 3 for sports development projects,” added Sadek.
Sadek, a senior sports science lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara, also said there is still room for improvement in the Malaysian sporting landscape and that hopes of Malaysia winning a gold medal in the Olympics are still unlikely.
“A lot of improvements should be made by the ministry to ensure that the athletes are on the right track to win a gold medal in the Olympics. Looking at the athletes’ current form, winning a gold at the Olympics is going to be a tough task.
“In my opinion, the performances of our athletes in the recent Asian Games have been mediocre, and there’s not much for us to be proud of. However, I also salute those athletes who have won gold for Malaysia, especially in squash,” Sadek added.
Meanwhile, former Penang FC goalkeeper Datuk Richard Scully believes the government should increase the allocation for the sports ministry so that Malaysian athletes can continue to be successful in major sporting events.
“No way that the government should reduce the allocation for sports ministry in this year’s budget, especially considering our Malaysian contingent, who won more than they targeted for in the Asian Games.
“We have seen many athletes who rose to the occasion in this year’s Asian Games, such as Arif Afifuddin Malik, who won gold in the men’s kumite under-84 kg category.
“We have a lot of potential athletes in our country, and with a higher allocation for the ministry, it can be a huge boost for many sports associations in Malaysia to produce more promising athletes,” Richard said.
Richard, who is also the National Coaches Association vice-president, said that smaller sports associations should also be on the radar of the Youth and Sports Ministry, and he hopes that they can get a fair share of the cake.
“I personally believe that the ministry should distribute the allocation given to them equally to all sports associations in Malaysia, including the smaller ones, such as the DanceSports Association and the Malaysian Chess Federation.
“I hope the ministry doesn’t measure these small associations based on results and treats them equally so that they can also move forward in producing top-class athletes,” Richard added.
Last year, the Finance Ministry allocated RM332 million for sports to effectively carry out its programmes, a significant reduction from 2021’s allocation of RM614.7 million.
However, last year’s budget was initially reduced to RM289 million but was later increased with an additional RM42 million for the Podium Programme.
Over the years, the budget allocation for sports has primarily focused on developing a comprehensive sports ecosystem, including identifying new talents, implementing training programs, and improving sports facilities.
Malaysia finished 14th in the Asian Games standings, winning a total of 32 medals (6 gold, 8 silver, and 18 bronze). – October 12, 2023