IPOH: The government will always provide strong support for the development of national sports to ensure that the field is in line with economic, intellectual and cultural progress.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he and Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh would continue to strive to meet the needs of the field while appreciating all parties who contributed to Malaysia’s success in the sports arena.
“.. and I, of course, along with Hannah Yeoh, will look to help in whatever way we can, from the smallest to the largest, whatever is possible because this country wants to progress economically, culturally, intellectually, andt also in terms of sports,“ he said when officiating the National Sports Day 2025 (HSN2025) at Bulatan Sultan Azlan Shah, here, this morning.
Also present were Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, Hannah and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.
For the first time, the programme, now in its 10th year, is being held outside the Klang Valley and is being celebrated simultaneously across the country today.
The Prime Minister said efforts to make sports a platform to spread the spirit of unity among the people of this country also need to be strengthened.
“Yesterday, I announced the budget on focusing on athletics, appreciating the contributions of young people in athletics, because this will inject discipline and a spirit of unity,“ he said.
When tabling the 2026 Budget yesterday, Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said the government would continue to intensify the development of national sports with an allocation of more than RM580 million.
He said the allocation included the empowerment of high-prestige sports including the Road to Gold programme and preparations for the 2027 SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games in Malaysia.
In conjunction with HSN2025 today, Anwar also released the participants of the MADANI Ria Run and presented the Sports for All Award. - Bernama
