KOTA SAMARAHAN: Assistant Sports Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin has emphasised the importance of discipline to all Sukma-bound athletes.
According to him, an athlete will never fulfil his or her true potential in the absence of this key factor.
“We want Sarawak athletes to be well known as athletes with high self-discipline not only during Sukma but during other competitions as well. This is one of the trademarks that we are looking for,” he stated.
“As state athletes, they must realise that they have an important mission in Perlis.”
Lee recalled that lessons can be learnt from the past when a few Sarawak athletes with poor discipline had cost the state chances to bag medals.
“It has happened before and we would not let that happen again. Everybody involved in Sukma must realise how important an event Sukma is to the state,” added Lee.
He elaborated that all the years of hard work and training could be ruined by just one act of indiscipline such as not getting adequate sleep, not getting the right nutrition or diet during the competition and being distracted.
The assistant minister was speaking to the state athletes during their Contingent Camp morning roll call at the Unimas Rafflesia Students Living Quarters yesterday.
He was invited by Sarawak National Sports Institute (ISN) as the contingent chef-de-mission to speak to the athletes before competing at the games.
All athletes left for their respective training ground via bus after the session and breakfast with Lee.
ISN centre head Joshua Kudi Philip said that it was essential for the state chef-de-mission to meet and motivate the athletes before the 2014 Sukma kicks off this Saturday (May 24).
The Sarawak contingent are leaving for Perlis in stages from yesterday.