LET’S be honest, when it comes to career choices, how many would even consider choosing sports as a profession?
Unless you were born with the natural talent of Pandelela Rinong, Datuk Lee Chong Wei, or Datuk Nicol David – and also possessed their level of passion, drive, and determination – most people would probably not even dare to dream of making a living as an athlete.
However, when thinking generally about a career in sports, most people would also tend to overlook that it is a career that may not even involve competing or even being athletic.
As a growing industry worldwide, revenue from sports is expected to grow over the years, making it one of the most lucrative industries to be a part of. Presently, there are wide-ranging career options to choose from in the sports industry and among them are professions such as medical doctors, psychologists, trainers, physical therapists, nutritionists, and not forgetting the jobs available in marketing and promoting sports.
As you can see, the skills and knowledge required for these professions are not limited to the sports industry and in fact are transferable to other industries as well.
The jobs listed above are also crucial for ensuring the success of the athletes in reaching their full potential, and could even provide the competitive edge needed to achieve victory over their sporting rivals.
Sarawak has made clear its ambition of becoming the sporting powerhouse of the country and as such one its initiatives is to revive the Sarawak Games (Suksa) this year, after a 27-year hiatus.
Taking place this December, Suksa aims to become the main platform for unearthing potential talents to represent the state in next year’s Malaysia Games (Sukma).
Apart from that, the positive outlook for the prospect of sports in Sarawak can be seen in the setting up of sports facilities such as the Youth and Sports Village, which will serve as a training centre and is expected to be completed in two years.
For those of you who love sports, not only as athletes but are also considering a career in sports, look into the options available, especially in terms of education and skills-training, so that you can make the best informed decision to be a part of this exciting industry.
This is a weekly column by SarawakYES! – an initiative driven by Faradale-M Sdn Bhd and supported by Angkatan Zaman Mansang (Azam) Sarawak-to provide advice and stories on the topics of education and careers to support Sarawakians seeking to achieve their dreams. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.