KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said National Sports Day should spur Malaysians to adopt a healthy lifestyle and lead to higher productivity.
“Every Saturday of the second week of October each year will be National Sports Day. For this year, National Sports Day will be celebrated on Saturday, October 10,” he said when launching National Sports Day 2015, here today.
Also present at the event were Minister of Youth and Sports, Khairy Jamaluddin and his deputy, Datuk M. Saravanan.
Najib said National Sports Day not only encourages the people to lead a healthy lifestyle but also boost unity among the various communities.
“In the context of nation building, sports can be a vehicle for bridging race relations in this country,” he said urging Malaysians regardless of race and religion to join National Sports Day celebration.
National Sports Day will hopefully produce more world class athletes for Malaysia which has yet to produce many such athletes and be known as a sporting nation, unlike Australia, which has almost the same population.
Najib did not deny that Malaysia had produced several world class athletes such as Datuk Lee Chong Wei, Datuk Nicol David and those during the 1960s.
“But our talent base is limited. We don’t have back up athletes of similar quality who can replace those who retired.”
A healthy lifestyle via sports can also overcome obesity among the people, the main cause of heart diseases, diabetes and hypertension.
Najib promised to participate in sports activities during National Sports Day celebration.
“I can’t wait for National Sports Day as I am a sports fan and practitioner. I have my own personal sports trainer. A healthy body and mind will lead to higher productivity for our country,” he added. - BERNAMA