BY: KARTIK SUBRAMANIAM

Malaysians are renowned for their interest in sports and it is perhaps in the sport of badminton where there is the most interest at present and where many of the young are taking lessons from professional coaches.

The reason why young Malaysians are taking up badminton is because they see professional players earning huge paychecks, if they are good enough to win in a tournament, and this is motivating and inspiring the budding players.

The fervour and frenzy to be excellent badminton players underlines the seriousness of Malaysian youngsters to want to perform well and become top players earning big incomes and being sponsored by companies and honored by the nation.

Other sports such as football, squash, hockey rate lower down the scale, but it is in badminton where the big money lure is a major attraction, and parents who see that their children are not academically-inclined enroll them for lessons in sports.

The Malaysian government must take cognizance of this changing scenario and accordingly pool the resources available to organise tournaments, matches and games of the sports that are popular to nurture talent.

The government must appoint talent scouts and coaches to spot and identify young people who show the promise of excelling in a certain sport and place them in the Bukit Jalil Sports School or other schools where they can develop and be a success.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher