KUALA LUMPUR: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh wants her legacy to be centred on empowering former athletes to support current and future athletes, believing that their experience and deep understanding of athletes' needs make them invaluable in this role.
Yeoh said one of her key goals before completing her term is to ensure the right people are placed in the right positions within the sports ecosystem.
However, she acknowledged and respected the positions of those elected through the democratic process.
Reflecting on her experience at the Paris Olympics, Yeoh said she spent considerable time with Malaysian squash legend Datuk Nicol David, who served as the country's deputy chef de mission.
Yeoh expressed hope that Nicol would continue to assist her in nation-building through sports development.
"In my short time as Minister, I have appointed many key former athletes to help me. It is my belief that former athletes understand sports and the needs of athletes.
In the Road To Gold (RTG) committee, I have three key former athletes to assist me - (badminton legend) Datuk Lee Chong Wei, Nicol, (former national hockey player) Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi.
"In the National Sports Council (NSC), I have Olympian Suriaghandi Suppiah and Chong Wei to assist me.
"At the National Sports Institute (NSI), I have Datuk Marina Chin and Nicol to assist me. In YAKEB, I have Farah Ann, Jeffrey Ong and Soo Beng Kiang to assist me," she said in a Facebook post on Monday.
Yeoh also appointed former swim queen Nurul Huda Abdullah as the chair of the Safe Sports Committee, alongside sports administrators like Datuk Seri Windsor John of the Asian Football Confederation (Malaysia Stadiums Board) and Datuk Stuart Ramalingam as the RTG coordinator. – BERNAMA