Divisional-level National Sports Day targets 10,000 participants

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Sherrina (seated centre) with the organising committee of Miri Divisional-level National Sports Day after the meeting yesterday.

MIRI: Some 10,000 people are expected to participate in the Miri Divisional-level National Sports Day at Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara (IKBN) Miri on Oct 14.

According to Miri Resident Sherrina Hussaini, the targeted groups are families, children, special people (OKU), youths and senior citizens.

Various events and activities have been planned for the programme and these activities will take place at different locations and venues around Miri.

Assistant Minister of Tourism, Art and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin will launch the sports day at IKBN Miri.

“National Sports Day is an initiative by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and it is a proactive step towards a transformation to become a ‘sporting nation’,” Sherrina said at a press conference Thursday, adding that the event is a national agenda in line with Vision 2020.

The celebration will be filled with various sport and recreational events that require participation of the public from all sectors, such as folks games, football, zumba sessions, bowling tournaments, dart tournaments, cycling events, futsal clinics, fitness party, swimming jamboree and badminton matches.

“The National Sports Day is important as part of the effort by the government to encourage the people to practise healthy lifestyle and be active, as the percentage of Malaysians who are active is a bit low which is only around 40 per cent, compared to  50 to 60 per cent in developed countries,” she said.

She disclosed that the objective of the National Sports Day is also to realise the hopes and inspirations of the government to make Malaysia a country with citizens who will make sports their lifestyle.

Sherrina said further that the event is also aimed at creating awareness on the importance of sports, promoting unity among the multiracial community, promoting economic development through the sports industry, increasing the peoples’ knowledge in sports as well as to give recognition to those who are involved in developing sports at the grassroots level.