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From Santokh Singh
I read with great interest the article titled “Gold is the goal, but grassroots is the gamechanger” by Dina Rizal, a respected figure in our sports fraternity, and I commend him for his powerful call to action.
He is absolutely right: rekindling Malaysia’s sports culture must be as urgent and committed a national mission as the pursuit of Olympic medals.
As someone who has walked the path from grassroots to representing the nation, I fully support this clarion call.
We can no longer afford to treat elite development and grassroots revival as separate agendas.
If the Road to Gold (RTG) programme is to achieve sustained success, it must be grounded in a healthy and thriving grassroots ecosystem.
The reality is stark: overemphasising elite athletes without nurturing the base is like building a skyscraper on shaky ground.
Without a consistent, quality pipeline of young talent —discovered, nurtured and mentored from the earliest ages —we are chasing short-term glory at the cost of long-term strength.
Dina’s idea of “rekindling the sports culture” is not just timely, it is essential. And it must begin, as pled repeatedly, at school level.
Schools are the cradle of talent. But too often, programmes are derailed by insufficient resources, ill-equipped coaching, or lack of genuine mentorship.
What we need are dedicated, principled coaches, true educators who treat athletes the way teachers treat students: with discipline, care, and belief in their potential.
Let’s look to progressive grassroots models already making an impact, such as the Young Talent Track & Field Club in Ipoh, where over 100 children train for free on weekends under structured guidance.
These are the kind of committed, low-cost, high-impact initiatives that must be recognised, supported and replicated across the country.
For the RTG to truly shine, we must walk a parallel Road to Grassroots — hand in hand, step for step.
This dual commitment is how we lift the standard of Malaysian sports, restore our national pride, and inspire a new generation.
A reminder on how to begin this dual commitment
To get this national effort off the ground, the first step is policy integration.
The ministry of youth and sports should work with the ministry of education to ensure grassroots sports development is prioritised in the school system, not just as co-curricular filler but as an organised, performance-oriented programme.
This means clear funding channels, school-based competitions with proper scouting, and alignment with state and national training pathways.
Next, establish a national grassroots task force comprising former athletes, educationists, coaches, and youth workers, whose job is to identify promising regional initiatives, like the one in Ipoh, and replicate them in every state.
These centres should serve as community sports hubs tied directly into a talent scouting network.
The message must be clear: grassroots isn’t an afterthought — it’s the front line.
Simultaneously, we need to professionalise coaching at the grassroots level, offering incentives and certification to attract young coaches into long-term development roles.
These coaches must be regularly trained, evaluated, and supported, not just left to fend for themselves.
Let’s also encourage former athletes to return as mentors, instilling values and discipline from lived experience.
Finally, the success of this dual track effort will depend on public-private partnerships.
Corporates, state governments, alumni associations and even sports-loving individuals can be part of this movement by sponsoring local clubs, school programmes, and coaching clinics.
Make this a national mission of shared ownership, where everyone has a stake in our sporting future.
As someone who owes everything to grassroots sports, I firmly believe this integrated approach will not only produce champions but also bring sports back into the hearts of the people.
And when that happens, Malaysia will rise, not just on podiums, but as a true sporting nation.
Santokh Singh is a former national footballer and an FMT reader.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
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