DAP Wong: Keep politics out of sports, focus on young talents

(From right) Wong, Phoong, Ong and others during the visit at the State Stadium of Sarawak.

KUCHING, Sept 6: DAP Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei calls for less politics in sports but more efforts to nurture young talents.

He stressed the need to engage efforts when it comes to the development of sports in Sarawak.

“I’m more concerned about nurturing young talents in Sarawak. The government has to come up with a systematic programme to groom young talents of various age group so that they could excel in sports,” he said in a statement today.

“There must be less politics in sports development, either within the association or outside the association. We should leave it to the professionals to put in place more technical training to continue grooming more excellent sportsmen in Sarawak,” he urged.

He added that there should not be any political influence by either politicians or committee members of any sports association.

Wong also called for regular maintenance for sports facilities in Sarawak while urging the government to allocate more fund for such purpose.

“Fund that is meant for maintenance of sports facilities should be properly used, and there should not be any leakages,” he said.

Wong had accompanied Sabah Youth and Sports Minister Ginger Phoong Jin Zhe in the latterā€™s visit to the State Stadium of Sarawak, Pandelela Rinong Aquatics Centre and Sarawak Shooting Range in Petra Jaya today.

Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) chief executive officer Dr Ong Kong Swee, who was present, also gave the Sabah state minister a briefing on the role and function as well as the future plan of SSC.

“It was a wonderful and fruitful meeting with the Sabahan minister. We look forward to close collaboration to ensure that sports in Sarawak will see a more healthy and progressive development,” said Wong.

Phoong paid a courtesy call on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah yesterday (Thursday).ā€” DayakDaily