Olympian Noraseela Khalid praises rise in female sports participation but calls for grassroots action, meritocracy in team selections
Malaysia Olympians Association president Noraseela Khalid has praised the improvement in female participation in sports but said more needs to be done at the grassroots level.
Noraseela said that at the Paris Olympics earlier this year, half of the 26-member contingent were women. Of the 13 females, 10 made their debut at the Olympic Games.
She, however, lamented that the two most popular sports in Malaysia – football and hockey – once again failed to qualify.
“While I’m pleased with the increased participation, there is still a long way to go in terms of winning medals,” said Noraseela during the Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion session at the Sports Law Association of Malaysia’s Game Changers: Legal Evolution in Sports Conference on Oct 24.
“All our medal winners from the Olympics and Paralympics were men, but getting more women involved in sports is a step in the right direction.
“But we can do more for women’s sports and the grassroots. We need to get more students interested in sports to build a bigger talent pool.”
Noraseela, however, said diversity is lacking in football and hockey. It was a view shared by her fellow panellists, Paralympic Council Malaysia secretary-general First Admiral (Rtd) Datuk Subramaniam Raman Nair, and Pahang Rangers FC general secretary Mutiara Bahir.
They said there was a growing concern about outside influences affecting selections, which may undermine meritocracy.
“The last time football qualified for the Olympics was in 1980, while the last time hockey did so was in 2000,” said Noraseela, who participated in the 400m hurdles at the 2012 London Olympics.
“Unlike individual sports, where only the best are selected, selection for team sports is subjective. Many wonder why the teams are not as multiracial as they were 20, 30, or 40 years ago.
“Maybe we should have external parties as part of the selection process.”
She added that previously, the football and hockey teams consisted of individuals from various backgrounds, providing diverse perspectives and strengths.
Subramaniam, meanwhile, said Malaysia needs more competent sports leaders.
“This decline also leads to making the wrong decisions when deciding on team selections,” he said.
“There are challenges in terms of the selection process, but if the leaders are competent, they can resist outside pressure when it comes to naming a team.”
