KUCHING: The inclusion of Silambam in the 21st Malaysia Games (Sukma XXI) in Sarawak shows that sports serve as a good unifier among the diverse communities in the country.
Minister of Youth and Sports, Hannah Yeoh, said although Silambam is a traditional martial art of the Indian community, the event now sees participation from non-Indian athletes, especially from Sabah and Sarawak.
Yeoh commended the Malaysian Silambam Association for promoting the sport in Sabah and Sarawak and teaching it to the indigenous children.
"This is a traditional sport of the Indian community, and it's certainly unfamiliar in Sabah and Sarawak. However, thanks to the association's efforts, many non-Indian children here are taking part in this event at Sukma this time.
"In addition to Silambam, another traditional Indian sport, Kabaddi, is also being contested and has seen participation from non-Indian athletes, further proving that sports have the power to unite all races in Malaysia," she said after witnessing the Silambam competition at the Hikmah Exchange Event Centre here today.
The last time Silambam was contested in Sukma was in 2013, and this year it includes athletes from various ethnic backgrounds.
Sarawak have 18 athletes, only three of whom have mixed Indian heritage, while Sabah's team of 16 athletes include just one of Indian descent, the result of a mixed marriage.
Meanwhile Yeoh hinted that several new events, particularly extreme sports, might be introduced in future Sukma editions.
She emphasised that in line with Sukma's goal of discovering new talent, more events will be included in the future.
"Introducing new events is beneficial because we need to adapt to global trends, such as the inclusion of extreme sports in the Olympics.
"We cannot be bound by existing rules, and if we don't observe what our neighbouring countries are doing, we risk falling behind," she said.
However, Yeoh stressed that when introducing new events, consistency is crucial and that it shouldn't be left solely to the National Sports Council to strengthen these sports.
"In our efforts to develop a sport, accessibility must be ensured, and all (state) associations must be active; otherwise, it wouldn't be fair to everyone," she added.