Mazlan: NSC should take over Podium Programme from NSI

“architect” of the national contingent’s success at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, Datuk Mazlan Ahmad, has urged the National Sports Council (NSC) to take over the Podium Programme, currently managed by the National Sports Institute (NSI).

Mazlan, a former NSC directorgeneral, feels that such a drastic action is necessary, and should be done immediately following the Podium Programme athletes’ failure to shine at the Commonwealth Games which ended on Sunday at Gold Coast.

Malaysia won seven gold medals — just one more than the 2014 haul in Glasgow, Scotland, despite the supposedly better preparation this time through the Podium Programme which started two years ago.

In fact, the national contingent failed to meet the target set by Podium Programme director, Australian Tim Newenham, to be in the top 10 of the medals tally.

Malaysia finished 12th, the same as four years ago in Glasgow.

“Even though we collected more gold medals in Gold Coast compared to Glasgow, the fact of the matter is that actually we failed.

“So, I am proposing that the management of the Podium Programme be changed.

“This is because the NSC are more experienced in management involving high performance athletes than the NSI.

“The NSI simply do not have the expertise, nor do they have the experience in managing athletes, from before right up to the Podium Programme,” said Mazlan when contacted yesterday.

Mazlan pointed out that it was a waste of time, energy and money to have two bodies, the NSC and NSI, tasked to oversee high performance sports at the same time.

“Give the task of managing the national athletes to those who are experienced and can do a good job. There is no need to wait until the end of the Asian Games this coming August or worse still, till the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

“The NSI need to go back to what they were initially supposed to do, which is to pay attention to developing sports science and carrying out research and development to further develop sports in the country.

“Matters involving high performance athletes should be left to the NSC,” stressed Mazlan.

On another matter, Mazlan suggested that weightlifting should be reinstated into the Core Sports Programme because the sport was the source of strength for the national contingent, contributing two gold, one silver (para powerlifting) and one bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games.