As Malaysia prepares to host the Mental Fitness Sports Conference 2025, Datuk Dr Ramlan Abd Aziz has emphasised the need to redefine mental strength, urging athletes, coaches, and communities to see resilience as part of a wider picture of human development.
The conference, themed “Championing Resilience: Stronger Minds, Stronger Athletes, Stronger Futures”, will be held on Nov 21 to 22 at Bayview Hotel Georgetown, Penang.
Speaking ahead of the event, Dr Ramlan said the discussion on mental strength must go beyond cliches and quick fixes.
“Basically, what we try to do is encapsulate the important components of mental strength. Sometimes people have quite a narrow view of what it really means,” said Dr Ramlan, who will present a talk titled ‘Mental Strength for Optimum Performance: Making It Work’.
“Some believe people are simply born with it, while others think that those who appear strong physically may not necessarily be strong mentally. People must realise that mental strength does not stand alone.”
The former director-general of the National Sports Council and chief executive officer of the National Sports Institute said mental strength forms part of a much larger framework of human character.
“It is part of a larger puzzle – the strength of character. Developing strong character is not just about sports. It involves parents, family upbringing, school exposure, education level, and so on,” said Dr Ramlan, who accompanied the national contingent at six Olympic Games – Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000), Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), and London (2012).
“These are all contributing factors. Mental strength is clearly a multifactorial concept. Regardless of your natural abilities or how mentally strong you may be, you still need proper mental training. The strategies used in high-performance sports are unique because they deal with situations far more intense than everyday life.”
He noted that mental strength is sometimes cited as a convenient explanation when someone loses, almost as a way to assign blame.
“But that’s not always fair. We must also consider other factors: an athlete might be dealing with a lingering or recurring injury, or perhaps they haven’t had adequate recovery time,” he said.
“In high-performance sport, mental strength must be seen as part of overall performance, not something isolated.”
Dr Ramlan added that the conversation on mental fitness extends beyond sports.
“At this stage of my life, my intention is for these messages to go beyond sport. Sport is a microcosm of society – and the ultimate goal is to understand how it can help develop society and nurture young people,” he said.
“If we view sport merely as a short-term pursuit, lasting two or three weeks, we fail to harness its real power. Once all components of performance are identified, we need to assess the weight of each – how much each factor contributes to the outcome. Only by identifying the problem accurately can we find the right solution.”
Distinguished speakers joining Dr Ramlan include Mike Way, head coach of squash at Harvard University; Bharati Suresh Chand, consultant pharmacist and certified mental health trainer; Dr Mahesh Appannan, director of the Digital Health Division at Malaysia’s Health Ministry; and Dr Rebecca Wong, PhD in Sports Psychology, MSc in Sport Science, and BSc in Nutrition and Community Health.
Other experts include Emily Chai, head of training, education and advocacy for Southeast Asia at Blackmores Malaysia; Datuk Dr Jignyasu Prafulla Joshi, psychosocial health and organisational behaviour specialist; and Sunil Prasad Eyamo, senior head coach at ActiveSG in Singapore and former Malaysian hockey player.
The event is organised by Global Edge Pharma and Global Edge Consultancy, in partnership with the Penang Sports Council and supported by the Penang government.
