Women continue to shine in sports management

KUALA LUMPUR: The involvement of women in local sports management is no longer something foreign, as many of them hold important leadership positions that spark and drive the excellence of Malaysian sports.

Their role gained further impetus when Hannah Yeoh was appointed as the Youth and Sports Minister at the end of 2022, making her the second woman to hold that position after Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said from 2004 to 2008.

Women are also making their presence felt in sports associations and agencies, as exemplified by Datuk Mumtaz Jaafar, a three-term vice-president of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) since her election in 2014.

The top national sprinter of the 80s said she did not want to end her career in sports despite retiring as an athlete long ago and was determined to continue contributing as a pioneer to advance sports in the country.

The mother of four said she never allowed the task of managing her family to prevent her from contributing her energy and ideas to the country's development, especially in sports management.

"Sports have been ingrained in my life, and I am grateful that I have the strength to fulfil my duties alongside managing my household. I always seek a balance to manage both, and it's not an excuse for me to stop," she told Bernama.

She recalled her bitter experience in 2019 of grappling with health issues and vying for the post of Malaysian Athletics Federation deputy president, as she was then battling stage three colon cancer.

"At that time, what was important was to keep my spirits up, striving so that I could serve the association. I went through it all. In sports, there are indeed many sacrifices made but the fighting spirit is key," she said.

For Anti-Doping Agency of Malaysia (Adamas) director Azura Abidin, it was a different set of challenges altogether. She said her ability was often questioned, especially since she is the first woman to hold the position since Adamas was established in 2007.

However, she refused to let doubters win and went on to prove that she could lead the agency despite having no experience when entrusted with that heavy responsibility in 2019.

"When I joined Adamas, I was at ground zero; it was a big challenge for me, especially since I needed to allocate time to care for my sick mother at that time and had limited staff. But I learned bit by bit, adhered to the set codes and standards, and performed my duties well," she said.

She said she did not want her experience and knowledge as a former athlete to go to waste and wanted to utilise it to help local athletes.

"I was an athlete for 20 years and I feel I can contribute a lot," she added.

Shalin said it is a pity that not many athletes are not interested to venture into sports management although former athletes understand and know what athletes need.

-- BERNAMA

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