NSC'S PODIUM PROGRAMME BOOST FOR 2025 SEA GAMES AND BEYOND

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Bernama) -- The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS), through the National Sports Council (NSC), has been implementing the Podium Programme to prepare athletes for the 2027 SEA Games since early last year, said its Minister Hannah Yeoh.

She said the programme identifies a group of athletes selected based on specific criteria, specifically those ranked fourth and sixth in Southeast Asia.

"The ongoing implementation of the Podium Programme by NSC, in collaboration with key stakeholders, is designed not only to prepare athletes for the 2025 SEA Games but also to support preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the 2026 Asian Games, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics," she said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Negara today.

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She was replying to a question from Senator Datuk Salehuddin Saidin about KBS's preparations and roadmap as the host of the 2027 SEA Games and the long-term plans for the country's athletes in the upcoming Commonwealth, Asian, and Olympic Games.

Hannah said KBS had allocated sufficient financial resources to manage the training of elite athletes under the Podium Programme, aiming to enhance their performance through coaching-led training programmes.

"Of course, the allocated financial resources will be used effectively to prepare athletes for better performance," she said.

She added that to prepare athletes for the 2027 SEA Games, NSC will initiate the first phase of the athlete preparation programme immediately after the conclusion of the 2025 SEA Games. An estimated RM146 million will be needed for the 2027 edition, a 20 per cent increase from the RM122 million spent on athlete preparation for the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.

-- BERNAMA