LETTERS: A letter by teacher Michael Cheng published on Aug 22 ("Revamp sports in schools") is the latest to point out the lack of a rigorous national physical education curriculum in schools, which is the bedrock of grassroots sports development.
The letter was by a teacher who has been in the trenches for 36 years teaching physical education. Thus, he knows what he is talking about when he says that sports teachers and potential athletes are not being prioritised.
It is not a surprise when the writer claims that school principals direct teachers in charge of sports to start training athletes only two to four weeks before a competition.
In such a situation, how can athletics, or any sport, improve?
Malaysian athletics has been in the doldrums for decades and is deteriorating further.
Our country produced champions in the glory days of the 1960s to early 1980s. Since then, we have been declining.
It is disheartening to see neighbouring nations winning in events once dominated by Malaysian athletes.
We have seen a low medal haul from athletics in the past two decades of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. Malaysia won eight athletics golds in the 2001, 2003 and 2005 SEA Games, seven in 2007, six in 2009 and 2011, four in 2013 and three in 2015, before getting eight in 2017, and five in 2019, 2021 and 2023.
The next SEA Games are in 2025 in Bangkok and 2027 in Kuala Lumpur. How many athletics golds can we expect if we have not focused on developing our grassroots athletes?
The next question is, can we repeat our feat of becoming SEA Games champions in KL in 2001, when we won 217 medals?
Time will tell, but we are in no position to expect the athletics medal haul to improve as we lack a pool of rising athletes capable of filling the ranks of injured or retiring stars.
We have had poor showings in the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM), Malaysia Games (Sukma) and Malaysian Athletics Championships.
Underlying these deteriorating conditions is the lack of visionary leaders developing athletics at all levels.
Far too many officials who are not athletes have overstayed their positions in certain state associations.
Thus, the Malay-sian Athletics Federation should push for a national grassroots programme.
Johor, Selangor, the Federal Territories, Perak and Terengganu should be commended for having their development plans run by former internationals.
Additionally, Malaysia's toptrack and field talent must be identified at the MSSM and Sukma.
These athletes must be nurtured and developed if we want them to be successful at Asean Schools and Sea Games levels, before going on to the Asian, Commonwealth and Olympic Games.
Promising athletes should be given scholarships to study at foreign universities to ensure excellence in their education and sports.
In short, there must be substantial changes in strategic planning at every level to restore sporting excellence in the country.
C. SATHASIVAM SITHERAVELLU
Seremban, Negri Sembilan
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times