As weekends come alive again with more and more sporting events after two years of uncertainty, organisers are being reminded of the Sports Development Act.
It is understood that several sporting events are being held without approval from the Sports Commissioner’s Office (SCO), with national sports associations being kept in the dark over the events.
“The Sports Development Act clearly states that companies are required to seek approval from the SCO before hosting events. The national sports body of the sport that is being contested should also be kept in the loop,” said Malaysian Snooker and Billiards Federation president Melvin Chia.
“Several amendments were made to the Act, with one of them holding organisers accountable for the welfare of participants. Organisers can’t take this aspect for granted and must comply. Such a requirement cannot be brushed off as something petty or unimportant.
“We don’t want another Evelyn Ang tragedy to take place,” he added.
Chia was referring to the December 2017 incident involving a runner competing in the Klang International City Marathon. Evelyn Ang was hit by a car while running and suffered serious injuries. She died on March 1, 2018.
Chia added that seeking the SCO’s approval would mean that the national sports associations can monitor the events that are being held.
“Issues often crop up when a player wins a series of tournaments but they were not sanctioned by us and did not get the blessings from the SCO. We don’t know if the organisers have strictly adhered to the rules of the game and as such, we cannot validfy the wins.
“Also, if a participant injures him or herself during the competition, he or she will have problems getting insurance coverage for the event was not sanctioned and did not get the SCO’s approval. In short, the tournament was illegal.”
Several sports associations, during the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) council meeting last month, raised questions about the need for sports bodies to get approval from the SCO.
Senior sports administrators pointed out that national and state sports bodies had always submitted their list of events to the SCO, and found it odd that certain national sports bodies did not see the need to do so.
A sports administrator confirmed the matter was discussed, and it was then agreed that the national sports bodies must reach out to the SCO, even if they organised closed-door competitions.
This was the second time the subject was brought up during OCM’s council meeting; the first being in December.
Earlier this year, an SCO spokesman told Twentytwo13 that sports associations must obtain approval before they can carry out their competitions, as per the requirement by the National Security Council. All states in Malaysia were then observing Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan.
The SCO’s website has yet to update its list of approved competitions for this year.
