There is a misconception that abuse and harassment in sports only affect women.
A group of concerned individuals, including a former Malaysian athlete, hopes to correct that misconception as Malaysia celebrates its first Safe Sport Day today.
Public relations practitioner, Christopher Raj added there had been cases of male athletes who were sexually abused and that the proposed Safe Sport Act would provide victims, regardless of gender, to speak out without fear.
“Many times, the victims keep quiet as they are afraid of the backlash if they speak out,” said Raj, who is the secretary of the newly founded Safe Sport Malaysia (SSM).
“We hope to give a voice to those who have suffered abuse.”
In January, a former Malaysian swimmer shared how he was forced to perform oral sex on his coach when he was 10 years old. It took him more than two decades to find the courage to speak out about his trauma.
In the United States, Aaron Thomas, 55, who coached at a Rhode Island high school from the 1990s until he resigned last year, was charged by authorities last month after he had allegedly asked male student athletes to remove their clothes while alone with him under the pretext of “checking their body fat.”
Raj said SSM hopes to raise awareness that abuse can happen to “anyone, anywhere, at any time”.
The first draft of the Safe Sport Act is expected to be tabled in Parliament later this year. Backed by the Youth and Sports Ministry, the Act also enjoys support from national sports associations, several non-governmental organisations, and the Olympic Council of Malaysia.
Once approved, the Act will ensure better protection for athletes, against sexual harassment and abuse.
Former national gymnast Sarina Sundara Rajah, a safe sport advocate and the founding president of SSM, said the code was being fine-tuned to ensure there were no loopholes.
“The US has a comprehensive Act, which is the gold standard,” said Sarina, a 1998 Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
“Singapore has a simpler code, which some here feel is more suitable.
“But to give better protection to our athletes, I am urging the (Youth and Sports) minister to study the US Safe Sports model.”
Sarina added the Act would also look into other aspects to safeguard athletes, including travelling and living arrangements during training and competitions. She stressed that it was unacceptable that there were instances of female athletes staying in the same room as male coaches.
The Act is also crucial in ensuring that there were laws to deal with any form of abuse and that athletes stayed safe mentally, emotionally, and physically.
According to the International Olympic Council’s Consensus Statement (2016), safe sport is defined as an “athletic environment that is respectful, equitable, and free from all forms of harassment and abuse”.
Radio personality Freda Liu, who is an SSM committee member, has also thrown her support behind the Act.
Liu will be joined by Sarina on LinkedIn Live tonight (8pm) as they discuss safe sport and how it affects everyone.
