The Sports Industry Job Convention held in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday, seemed to tick all the right boxes. There were conversations about job, and economic opportunities in the sports industry, as well as creating safe spaces to get more women involved in the ecosystem.
At the end of the session, former shuttler Daphne Ng, had just one hope.
“I truly hope the conversations raised during the convention, will not be forgotten. Many of us hope that there will be continuity,” said Ng, who now runs badminton academy Duo Sparks.
Ng herself, played a vital role during the convention. She was invited as one of the panellists to speak about women’s participation in sports.
“During my session, we heard about women admitting that they felt shy, taking part in sports. They didn’t feel safe due to the environment, and some don’t go to the gymnasium because they feel intimidated, especially by the men,” she said.
“We told them to gather their friends and go in groups instead, to motivate each other. Also, we reminded the men to help welcome women in gymnasiums, or while playing any sport.”
The one-day convention, organised by the Youth and Sports Ministry, saw the participation of various stakeholders in the industry – from university students to medical officers, to representatives from corporations, and the Olympic Council of Malaysia. Their views would, hopefully, help the ministry and the Sports Industry Secretariat to come up with policies that would benefit the players, and the industry, in general.
“It was also a good avenue to connect and discuss issues affecting the industry. There are many opportunities across the board, and hopefully, there will be more conversations after this.”
Ng added that the responsibility of promoting the sports industry and educating the masses about its benefits should not be the Youth and Sports Ministry’s alone.
“All parties have to work together.”
Former squash international Sharon Wee, who was a moderator during a session on women in sports, said the panellists hoped more would be done beyond the event.
“The panellists said the convention was a great effort, but they wanted to know what the plan beyond the convention was. Otherwise, they would be back next year, at a similar event, speaking about the same thing,” said Wee, who is also the vice-president of the Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia.
“I started my journey in sports at a very young age. As a player, I graduated to becoming an elite athlete, and when I retired as a player, I became a coach, an entrepreneur, an official of an association, and a television commentator… I’ve seen it all.
“Having that 360-degree point of view, I believe we all want the government to acknowledge the importance of the sports industry, as a main economic contributor.”
The convention was also organised to allow stakeholders to assist the ministry and the Sports Industry Secretariat to come up with better policies en route to raising the profile of the industry, on a par with developed nations.
Wee hoped that the government would firm up policies that would protect the sports industry.
“Equally important are policies to get women involved, either as athletes or businesswomen in the industry, and to protect their interests,” she added.
The convention was also held to get the buy-in from parents that there is a future in sports for their children.
Prof Dr S. Shamala said parents played a big role in influencing their children.
“The effort to get parents to look at the various possibilities and opportunities sports offer is vital,” said Shamala, who is an academic at Universiti Putra Malaysia, and senior deputy president of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation.
“Sports offers great potential. We often see children being asked to choose a career from traditional jobs, but the staging of the Tokyo Olympics showed that sports could still go on, even during a pandemic. This shows its resilience and importance as an industry.”
Shamala believed the convention was only the beginning, adding that more ought to be done to engage parents on the endless possibilities that sports has to offer.
