NATIONAL SPORTS INSTITUTE TARGETS FOUR NEW SATELLITE CENTRES THIS YEAR

KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Bernama) -- The National Sports Institute (NSI) is targeting the addition of at least four more NSI satellite centres this year as part of efforts to strengthen the development of high-performance sports in the country.

NSI chief executive officer Dr P. Vellapandian said the establishment of these new centres would, however, be carried out in stages based on the eligibility criteria and readiness of institutions interested in collaborating.

“This year, we are targeting four NSI satellite centres, but there will be a screening process first, as we want to ensure that all the criteria set are fully met.

“In addition to universities, we will also explore opportunities to collaborate with hospitals to ensure that athletes in those states receive appropriate treatment,” he said after holding the first engagement session with all Satellite Centre heads at NSI, Bukit Jalil today.

NSI currently has seven satellite centres: the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Science (University of Malaya), the Faculty of Health Sciences (Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin), the Sports Technology and Innovation Centre (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia), and the Faculty of Sports Science and Recreation (UiTM Shah Alam), the Faculty of Sports Science and Recreation (UiTM Perlis), the Faculty of Sports Science and Coaching (Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris), and the Faculty of Education and Sports Studies (Universiti Malaysia Sarawak).

During the engagement session, NSI also expressed its intention to extend its sports science services nationwide more comprehensively through a strategically linked network of Satellite Centres.

“The main objective is to ensure equitable and high-quality access to sports science services, regardless of the location of athletes or teams. NSI also hopes to establish a collaborative ecosystem between NSI, universities, state sports associations, and local agencies.

“NSI sees public universities offering programmes in sports science, medicine, and sports technology as ideal partners for expanding this influence – given their expertise, basic facilities, and strategic geographical locations,” he said.

-- BERNAMA