(Seated front row, from left) Dr Chin, Dr Ong, Salmi Lilek and Muhammad Hazwan Haziq Rusli posing with the participants.
KUCHING: Sports science must be applied in all training programmes by all sports associations to optimise the performance of athletes.
According to Sarawak Sports Corporation CEO Dr Ong Kong Swee, there are still coaches who do not appreciate the importance of sports science in their respective sports especially concerning periodisation and sports psychology.
““If coaches do not utilise the periodisation plan, it would result in more injuries that can affect their winning percentage as well as being not psychologically prepared to ‘fight’ to the end which can be seen during Sukma XVIII,” he said while opening the National Sports Science Level One (SPKK) Course on Monday.
The course, jointly organised by the Sarawak Sports Corporation, Department of Physical Education and Health, Institute of Teacher Education Tun Abdul Razak Campus (IPGKTAR) and the National Institute of Sports Malaysia in IPGKTAR Kota Samarahan, will end tomorrow.
It is attended by 66 participants comprising trainee teachers, coaches, state athletes and teachers.
The course, which is the first Sports Science Level One course for 2016, is aimed at educating and certifying coaches in the application of sports science in sports.
Kong, also the director of the Sarawak State Sports Council, told coaches to abandon “old school’ thinking which does not believe in sports science but instead embrace its impact in developing and maximising the potential of their athletes.
“All sports organisations in Sarawak need to be forward thinking advocating sports science like Dr Chin Ngien Siong of IPGKTAR who has been the front-runner in educating, developing and certifying the Physical Education trainee teachers with sports science courses, BCE courses and other disciplines of sports science through various collaboration with sports science experts,” he added.
SSC, he said, would be collaborating with strategic partners such as IPGKTAR, UM, UiTM and others who can help deliver key performance outcomes for the success of sports in Sarawak.
Kong expressed his appreciation to the Department of Physical Education and Health, IPGKTAR, National Coaching Academy (ISN Malaysia) and participants for the success of the course, stating that there will be two more sports science courses before the end of the year.
The course was conducted by National Coaching Academy appointed instructors Dr Chin Ngien Siong, Gordon Nicolaus Jemat Anchang, Dana Raja Narayanasamy and Lim Eng Hooi.