Is this true?

Sportcheck: Coaching Board wants to go local

2009/02/27

THE National Coaching Board is planning on making Malaysian sports free of foreign coaches, and in the long run, start exporting local coaches as well. A three-day seminar, which started in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, began with the plan outlined in Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri's speech which was read by his deputy Wee Jack Seng.

"For far too long, we have relied on foreign expertise to train our athletes, and I feel it is time we upgraded the quality of our coaching outfit, and stop relying on foreign expertise.

"My aspiration is for local coaches to take over the reign of local sports and in the long run, make them sought after by other countries," said Ismail Sabri.

National Coaching Board chairman Dr Ahmad Munir, who received his appointment letter a few days back, concurs with the idea.

"We have two plans. One is a short term goal which will see us having an in-depth look at all 299 local coaches who have Level III certificates. We want to see how many are active, and how many have stopped after getting their paperwork.

"Then, we will use the Australian coaching system as a guideline, and train a select group to be professionals in their respective fields.

"Hopefully, in the long run, we will start exporting coaches as well," said Ahmad.

Ahmad is a senior lecturer with Universiti Malaya, and the National Sports Council (NSC) is looking to rope him in, on secondment, to realise this dream.

Meanwhile, NSC director general Datuk Zolkples Embong said former football players, and coaches with certificates are now free to coach in schools.

"Previously, there were restrictions as only teachers were allowed to coach football in schools. But after the Sports Minister had a discussion with the Education Ministry, outsiders can now coach football in schools," said Zolkples.

© Copyright 2009 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.

This is an article from the NST dated 27th February 2007 which sounds familiar to me like when the previous Sports Minister announced a grand income structure for local coaches but was never implemented. Can this be another deja vu? I can't really tell at the moment but it was, then great.

I have been a long time advocate of Made in Malaysia by Malaysians concept for squash. The need for foreigners are there but more in the as when needed basis. For example, squash players need to be in Europe for a certain time due to the nature of the competition scheduling. As such, a coach there to oversee and help coordinate the players can be helpful. Getting new ideas or methods through collaborations can also help. But the day to day running should and must be localized.

I have seen that in the last 16 years the good and the bad of foreign and local coaches. Locals have a genuine grouse of not having the opportunity while the foreigners have accountability, to a certain degree of course. But we need locals to step up and take a challenge and to prove themselves better or at least at par with the foreigners that have come through our shores. Yes, a lot of them have played the game at a higher level than the locals but that is just one part. If locals can outshine them in other parts of coaching, then those areas can account and compensate for the one lacking ares.

So to all my fellow local coaches, stand up and be counted for. Do not wait for the handouts. Cheers and have a nice day.