Khairy urges sports associations to put national interest first

KUALA LUMPUR: All sports associations have been urged to put the national interest first in facing the challenges at the 29th SEA Games and 9th ASEAN Para Games, which will be held here next year.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin also warned all sports associations to set aside political differences and not to practice favouritism in selecting the best athletes for the two biennial games.

Khairy said the national spirit among athletes was very important to ensure Malaysia emerged as the overall champion of the games.

"Most sports associations give good cooperation but still there is one or two troubled associations. So, I want to take this opportunity to remind them that the national interest is the main goal of SEA Games and the ASEAN Para Games, not favouritism and politics.

"The national interest should be above everything else and I'm ready to intervene in accordance with existing regulations to ensure that they conform to the national interest," he told reporters delivering his message to the national SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games contingents here last night.
Kuala Lumpur will host the 29th SEA Games from Aug 19 to 31 and the 9th ASEAN Para Games from Sept 17 to 23 next year.

Khairy also wanted associations and coaches to have good communication with the athletes by accepting their opinions.

"I hope there will be clear communication among athletes, coaches and sports associations. Athletes nowadays are not like before, they are university graduates," he said. — Bernama