Hannah Yeoh champions former athletes in sports administration overhaul

SHAH ALAM - In an Instagram post, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has shared her vision for enhancing Malaysia's sports administration, emphasising her commitment to placing former athletes in key positions to better support current and future sports talents.

As Youth and Sports Minister, Yeo has outlined a clear vision for her tenure, focusing on reshaping Malaysia’s sports administration with an emphasis on experience and expertise.

In a recent Instagram post, she revealed her strategic approach to placing former athletes in pivotal roles, highlighting her belief that these individuals are uniquely equipped to understand and address the needs of the nation's athletes.

“I want to ensure that the right people are in the right positions before my term ends.

“While I cannot influence appointments made through democratic processes, I have the power to make changes where I can,” she said.

Yeoh has strategically appointed several key former athletes to prominent roles within the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Her approach includes establishing the Road to Gold Committee, which features renowned former athletes such as Datuk Lee Chong Wei, Datuk Nicol Ann David and Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi.

In addition, the National Sports Council of Malaysia has seen the inclusion of Olympian Suriaghandi Suppiah and Lee Chong Wei. The National Sports Institute benefits from the contributions of Datuk Marina Chin and Nicol David.

The National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) is supported by Farah Ann, Jeffrey Ong and Soo Beng Kiang, who are tasked with ensuring the well-being and support of athletes. Lastly, the Safe Sports Committee is chaired by Nurul Huda Abdullah.

In addition to these appointments, Yeoh has also involved sports administrators such as Datuk Seri Windsor John of the Asian Football Confederation and Stuart Ramalingam of the Malaysian Football League (MFL).

Reflecting on her recent experience at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Yeoh praised Nicol David for her exemplary role as Deputy Chef de Mission.

“Nicol did a brilliant job supporting our athletes in Paris. Her dedication and effectiveness are exactly why I hope she will continue to assist in developing our sports programs,” she said.

Yeoh’s vision extends beyond her current term; she aims to build a legacy centred around empowering former athletes to contribute to the sports sector. Her goal is to create a lasting impact by leveraging their first-hand experience to benefit Malaysia’s sporting future.

“Watch this space. More to come,” she said.