| Izah Azahari |
FOR ENSURING that the country will be able to compete and win medals in regional and international events, including in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, a number of strategies have been planned by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) through the Department of Youth and Sports.
This was outlined by YB Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, during the Legislative Council Meeting yesterday in response to YB Awang Haji Jumat bin Akim questions.
The first strategy, according to the minister, is on identifying core sports where nine core sports has been identified for the time being such as Wu Shu, Silat, Sepak Takraw, Karate Do, Tae Kwon Do, Lawn Bowling, Athletics, Aquatics and Football; while the second strategy is on effective development and Talent Identification (TID) programmes, where in hopes of achieving its goals, long-term programmes have been implemented with a focus on the development of athletes from the grassroots until they become elite athletes through TID programmes and the Sports Academy.
The TID programme is a mechanism to unearth talents from a young age, especially in students under 17 years old, and is implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and national sports organisations.
The minister stated that the TID has been conducted in 16 secondary schools and 15 primary schools all over the country where a total of 1,363 participants have undergone general TID and only 26 have been identified to have potential in being given further training. As for the target of specific identification, 1,281 participants have undergone tests and only 367 have been identified to have potential in being given further training. From the results of the TID, a total of 19 athletes were eligible to enter the Sports Academy so far.
File photo shows Brunei’s contingent among the contingents at SEA Games in Singapore in June 2015. – INFOFOTO
“There are 11 sports involved in the TID comprising Karate Do, Fencing, Kayak, Bicycle Racing, Athletics, Football, Boat Racing, Silat, Sepak Takraw, Handball and Tae Kwan Do,” said the minister.
Even though the number of those identified in the general TID and specific TID are 353 athletes, only 143 athletes are currently undergoing training due to a number of factors such as not getting permission from parents or employers, and no longer having interests in continuing training.
Meanwhile, the establishment of the Sports Academy functions to give special focus on the young athletes chosen through the TID and sports training schemes, which has been able to show the nurtured talent to become elite athletes through systematic programmes and special monitoring.
The third strategy is on improving efficiency and effectiveness of sports organisations’ management where one of the efforts is through administration courses handled by international bodies such as the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), the International Hockey Federation, Umpiring Course for Sepak Takraw from the International Sepak Takraw Federation and athletics technical course from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
Furthermore, the fourth strategy is on increasing the number and quality of sporting and recreational activities where efforts are on increasing more sports programmes for the society which will provide physical and mental benefits.
In the organisation of these programmes, cooperation between the Department of Youth and Sports with other agencies such as the MoE and the Ministry of Health, as well as private agencies with the objective of increasing public participation in sporting activities can be achieved.
The fifth strategy is on improving cooperation with non-government organisations (NGOs), government and private agencies as the responsibility of sports development does not lay mainly on the MCYS but it also requires strong co-operation from NGOs, other government and private agencies.
The ministry, through the Department of Youth and Sports, has always worked closely with NGOs such as the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council (BDNOC) and other national sports organisations in designing sports programmes that focus on high-performance sports and development.
The sixth strategy is on culturing sports through enhancing human resource, namely sports science experts, coaches and provision of infrastructure. In efforts of enhancing expertise in coaching and sports science experts, a number of steps have been taken such as seeking the service of professional coaches from abroad in prioritised sports. In addition, efforts to enhance the capacity of local coaches are also done through giving them the opportunity to pursue coaching certificates that are recognised by national sports bodies.
The MCYS through the Department of Youth and Sports has a number of expert coaches from outside the country for some specific sports such as swimming from the Netherlands, athletics from Cameroon and Tanzania, Wu Shu from China, Karate Do from Indonesia, and Sepak Takraw from Thailand. With the presence of this expertise, athletes are being prepared to compete in the regional and international arena.
Meanwhile, in the field of sports science, the department has brought in expertise in sports science such as Sports Science Medical Doctors, Psychology Experts, as well as Strength and Conditioning Coaches which will further enhance athlete performance through a more systematic sports science.
With the combination of the above experts, continuous and systematic training programmes can be executed with more quality by using the methods of sports science and the latest sports technology.
The provision of sports infrastructure and facilities as training platforms with international standards for athletes through training facilities where athletes and trainers can facilitate training programmes and organise tournaments by national associations.
The seventh strategy is on ensuring sufficient funds and improving on revenue collection. In implementing the strategy, it requires sufficient funds, and with this, planning is geared more towards prioritising chosen sports that can truly win medals for the country. In the meantime, the existing infrastructure can also improve revenue collection through the use of department infrastructure from various government agencies and the private sector.
The post MCYS unveils strategies for producing elite athletes appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.
