Minister lauds decision to reinstate three Sukma sports

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Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

SIBU: Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has again expressed satisfaction with the decision to reinstate Taekwondo, Sepak Takraw and Weightlifting in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Perak this year.

He was commenting on National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail’s recent statement that the Sukma Supreme Committee had decided to reinstate sepak takraw, taekwondo and weightlifting in the 2018 Sukma.

It was not fair to the three sports to be dropped abruptly, Karim said.

“And not fair especially to the athletes who have been training the last two years in preparation for this games,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.

Last December, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that weightlifting, sepak takraw and taekwondo were dropped as core sports due to poor performance or not showing improvement following a review of the three sports since 2007.

He also reportedly said deteriorating performance and numerous disciplinary problems such athletes failing doping tests were the main reasons weightlifting was dropped while sepak takraw and taekwondo were dropped for not showing improvement in their performances.