KUALA LUMPUR – The dancesport fraternity has expressed deep concerns about the sport’s lack of funding and support from the Youth and Sports Ministry.
Dancesport, a graceful blend of standard and Latin dance, has been growing in popularity in Malaysia, with talented athletes across the nation achieving notable victories with their remarkable performances on the international stage over the years.
Despite their dedication and achievements, athletes and the Malaysia DanceSport Federation (MYDF) find themselves burdened with substantial financial expenses, hindering their progress in the sport.
Speaking to Scoop, MYDF sports director Chua Zjen Fong minced no words as he discussed the pressing issue.
“It’s disheartening to witness the dreams of our talented athletes being hampered due to financial constraints.
“Competitions are a crucial part of their development, but our athletes find themselves burdened with substantial financial expenses, hindering their progress in the sport,” said Zjen Fong.
He further said that the ministry should treat dancesport as equal to other mainstream sports in the country and be passionate about elevating the sport’s image in Malaysia.
“I don’t know what is stopping KBS (the sports ministry) from supporting us on an equal basis with all other sports out there.
“Our athletes are also winning medals for the nation like the mainstream athletes, and it feels unfair that we are not being recognized enough.
“Even I myself used to be an athlete in this sport in 2008 before retiring in 2019. The progress has remained stagnant from KBS over the past 15 years, and things have never changed since the day I was also competing as an athlete with my wife, Evon Chong.
“We would appreciate it if KBS could help us out with this, as we can achieve even more for Malaysia if the sport is supported and promoted by the government,” added Zjen Fong.
At the same time, MYDF deputy president John Fam Sin Nin echoed similar sentiments by highlighting the lack of passion shown by the ministry towards the sport.
“It’s sad to see KBS having a lack of passion towards the sport, and they don’t realise the transition and potential that the sport can bring as a medal sport for Malaysia if it’s supported.
“Even when Malaysian athletes who performed well in the breaking category were not included by KBS to participate in the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games. I wonder why KBS is so thrifty.
“It takes RM200,000 to groom an athlete to participate in a competition. Believe it or not, it costs between RM20,000 and RM30,000 for our athletes to purchase their costumes,” said John.
John said that he will continue to advocate for the sport to be included as a sporting category in the 2027 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.
“We have a long-term plan, and we aim to ensure that KBS includes dancesport as a category in the 2027 SEA Games.
“I believe that perhaps KBS is not supporting us enough due to the fact that we have yet to win a gold medal in mainstream sporting events such as the SEA Games.
“Hence, we aim to win as many medals as possible in the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand and justify it to KBS,” added John.
The MYDF is the sports association governing all aspects of both amateur and professional dancesport nationwide.
The federation was established independently and registered with the sports commissioner, and is officially endorsed and supported by the Youth and Sports Ministry, National Sports Council, and National Sports Institute.
Last month, Ooi Ken Vin and Zoe Tan Zi Wei were crowned champions at the 2nd WDSF Malaysia Open Dancesport Championship WDSF Youth Open Latin event, which is a world-ranking event. – September 14, 2023