LETTERS: AS a coach, I seldom have any need to deal with Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and his extended team at the ministry.
In the lead-up to the Touche International Minime 2020, this changed.
As a former national fencer, I have seen plenty of changes in personnel in and around the sport at different levels.
I have also seen that some things have remained the same over the decades that I have been in fencing.
I’m pleased to report a positive change in culture at the ministry.
Two small things make the difference. Firstly, an open-door policy and, secondly, a culture of problem-solving, even though it was late on a Friday or a Monday morning.
This culture was seen not just in the minister’s speech but also applied by his officers.
I’m sure that fencing is not on Syed Saddiq’s daily radar but we hope it will be so that we can showcase our young fencers.
As a way forward, we need to involve more corporations in sports.
Sports development and sports tourism go hand in hand. This was what we learnt during the recent tournament.
Touche International Minime saw more than 220 participants from nine countries.
We saw great fencing and many friendships were forged.
It was not just the athletes who benefited. Hotels also gained in the hundreds of room nights booked.
Bus companies and Grab drivers were sending the teams back and forth to the stadium. Airline seats were filled.
It’s within this dynamic that companies should consider sponsoring sporting events like fencing as they drive revenue, community engagement and branding in the media.
The sport needs to be empowered to find the next generation of champions.
MOK CHEK WLONG
Coach, Touche Fencing Club founder and former national fencer
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times