KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 (Bernama) -- Sports play an important role in
nation-building through making friends out of strangers and building links
between the different races, cultures and religions that shape a vibrant,
diverse society.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said as a passionate believer in
the transformational power of sports, he was committed to building a culture of
sports in Malaysia that stretched from the grassroots to the elite.
"I am committed not only to achieving national sporting excellence but also
to making sure that sports remain a part of life for all Malaysians, which is
why I set up a high-level Cabinet Committee for Sports involving 10 different
ministries and chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
"The committee''s current focus is on the eight core sports -- football,
hockey, badminton, squash, bowling, gymnastics, aquatics and athletics, and I
would like to say that so far it seems to be paying dividends.
"For example, in badminton our home-grown hero Datuk Lee Chong Wei had just
won the All-England men''s singles title. And we also take pride in Datuk Nicol
David and our football team for their achievements," he said after receiving the
Plaque of Honour from the International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS),
here, today.
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NAJIB-SPORTS 2 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR
The award was presented by FIMS president Prof Dr Fabio Pigozzi in
conjunction with the six-day International Congress on Sports and Exercise
Medicine which ended, here, today.
Najib noted that all the efforts to support world-class athletes must be
matched with world-class advances in medical care, nutrition and support
-- sporting accomplishment and achievement born out of the achievements and
accomplishments of science.
He said Malaysia was lucky enough to have a National Sports Institute
equipped with the latest technology, including a sports medical clinic, medical
laboratory, radiology unit, physiotherapy, injury rehabilitation gym,
conditioning gym, biomechanics hall, physiological laboratory and nutrition
facilities.
The award was given to Najib for his exemplary achievements and
accomplishments in the promotion of sports and administration of sporting
activities, especially in formulating and implementing the National Sports
Policy when he was Sports Minister in 1986.
At the same function, Najib''s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor was also
awarded the Plaque of Honour for her impressive stride in many fields,
including taking an active interest in the promotion of welfare, sports and
educational activities.
-- BERNAMA
ZUZ AKT MO
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