Ong (second left) with (from left) Ramesh, Ramlan and Yeo during the official visit to ISN Bukit Jalil.
KUCHING: The National Sports Institute of Malaysia (ISN) fully supports the role and functions that the Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) plays in the development and promotion of sports science and sports technology in sports at all levels in Sarawak.
“Coaches from the grass roots level especially teachers and coaches in primary schools should practise and apply sports sciences in their teaching and coaching approach to their athletes and students.
“The application of sports science and sports technologies shall also be introduced to all communities so that we can sustain healthy, fit, active and productive citizens,” said ISN chief executive officer Dr Ramlan Abd Aziz during a meeting with SSC chief executive officer Dr Ong Kong Swee at ISN headquarters at Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur recently.
They met to discuss on the ISN Blue Ocean Strategy – the collaboration of ISN with Sarawak government and SSC on the establishment of Sarawak Talent Identification Task Force comprising of Sarawak sports experts and former athletes.
Also present were ISN deputy chief executive officer (management) Ramesh Chandar and ISN deputy chief executive officer (operations) Dr Yeo Wee Kian.
Ramlan has promised and requested the ISN management and operation sections to urgently conduct a seminar or workshop to train local participants during the next coming task force meeting to be held soon by Ong.
The formation of the task force by Ong Kong Swee was proposed by Minister of Social Development Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom and Assistant Sports Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin to identify sports talents in the interior areas of Sarawak and for Sukma 2016.
According to Ong, the Sarawak task force has been identified and comprises sports science and sports experts from local universities and institutes, sports associations, Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS) and USPTN sports science officials and the Sarawak Education Department’s Sports Unit.
He said the task force was established on October 8 following an official visit of Ramesh Chandar to the Social Development Ministry of Sarawak.
Ramlan said he was very pleased with the quick response and action from Lee and SSC in the establishment of the task force.
“Sarawak have its own sports science and sports experts who are willing to cooperate and assist ISN in the talent ID programme provided that ISN send their
experts to train the locals in conducting tests and measurements and specification of talent ID for the whole of Sarawak,” said Ong.
“The local experts will be more relevant because they will be familiar with the culture and the logistics areas of sports talents in Sarawak,” he added.
During the discussion with Ramlan, Ong has also reminded the latter of Sarawak’s request on the setting up of another ISN satellite centre in Sibu.
“The ISN satellite in Sibu is rational and justified because most of the national athletes especially volleyballers and athletes are focused around the central division,” said Ong who explained that Sarawak is logistically vast and needs at least three ISN satellite centres to provide and assist sports science and sports medicine services to all sports in Sarawak.
Ramlan and Ong both agreed that all the data collected by ISN or MSN should be easily available to the relevant sports authority and particularly SSC.
The data base collected would be very useful in identifying new sports talents and developments of sports in Sarawak.
The discussion was also focused on the procedure or protocol in the implementation of testing and measurements and the ethics of the evaluators.
In order to maintain the validity and reliability of the data collected, an independent body comprising of sports science experts from SSC, MSN and ISN shall monitor and guide the testers during the collection of data.