THE Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) has allocated RM1 million through the National Sports Trust Fund (KWASN) to support sports development among Malaysia’s uniformed bodies.
The initiative aims to identify and nurture athletic talent within agencies such as the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), Malaysian Prison Department (JPM), Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), and Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM).
Minister of Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh emphasised the role of uniformed bodies in producing medal-winning athletes for Malaysia in international competitions.
“Uniformed bodies have long played a role as providers of athletes who have successfully won medals for the Malaysian Contingent in various international sporting events,“ she said in a statement.
Sports like archery and shooting have seen strong participation from ATM and PDRM athletes, while others such as lawn bowls, sepaktakraw, cycling, hockey, and boxing also feature active competitors from these agencies.
Notable achievements include Saritha Cham Nong (ATM), who won gold in the women’s compound team event at the Asia Archery Cup Championship, and Erma Firyana Saroji (PDRM), a Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
The funding will also support JBPM’s focus on table tennis and JPM’s petanque development.
“This is to meet the goal of expanding talent development efforts involving uniformed personnel as the next generation of athletes,“ the statement added.
New proposals discussed during the meeting include introducing sports like open water swimming, table tennis, and climbing for uniformed bodies.
Additionally, plans to reintegrate uniformed contingents into the Malaysia Games (SUKMA) and employ paralympic athletes in line with disability inclusion policies were reviewed. – Bernama
