Malaysia to develop skateboarding, climbing and surfing as new sports for Olympic medal push, says Hannah Yeoh
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 — Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh announced today that the National Sports Council (MSN) will be focusing on developing new sports such as skateboarding, climbing, and surfing.
She said these sports are viewed as potential contributors to Malaysia’s medal tally in future Olympic events.
“At the same time, sports that offer multiple medal opportunities and weight categories will also be given attention. The success of athletes from neighbouring countries in winning medals in sports like weightlifting, boxing, taekwondo, and gymnastics should serve as an inspiration for our local athletes.
“Events involving female athletes will also receive attention, as there are still opportunities to win medals in Olympic sports,” she said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Yeoh was responding to Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh Deo, who had asked about the government’s plans to improve national sports performance in light of the recent results of the national squad at the Paris Olympic Games.
Yeoh added that the ministry, through MSN, will hold a post-mortem session on November 14.
“The findings from this post-mortem will be used to develop strategies for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games,” she said.