By Khairul Azran Hussin
SHAH ALAM, Dec 20 — The Selangor State Sports Council (MSNS) hopes the Youth and Sports Ministry will allow athletes who have passed the age limit to compete in the 2022 Sukan Malaysia (Sukma) in Johor.
MSNS executive director Mohamad Nizam Marjugi said the move will allow athletes who have trained in the past two years to take part in the national sports event which was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The athletes had to undergo a difficult training process due to the new norm and the standard operating procedure in order to maintain their fitness and performance.
“So we have to give the athletes who have passed the age limit a chance, for them to use Sukma as the final platform to prove they have the potentials to reach a higher limit,” he said to SelangorKini today.
However, he said they are ready for any possibilities including planning for a new training programme for their back-up athletes if KBS refused to amend the age limit.
The age limit on participation for Sukma games is below 21 years, yet there are sporting events such as gymnastic that set its age limit to under 15.
The 2020 Sukma and Para Sukma in Johor were supposed to be held on March 6-14 but was cancelled when the Covid-19 pandemic entered its third wave.
KBS Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said Johor will still be the host for the 2022 edition of the games as the state is already 99 per cent ready in its planning, administration, technical and sporting facilities
