Sunday, May 3, 2009

Malaysia's own sports channel soon

KUALA LUMPUR: A television channel dedicated to local sports and role models is expected to be launched by the end of the year.

Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tunku Imran ibni Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar said OCM and Astro were finalising the details of the channel, which would cover domestic sports as well as regional and international sports in which Malaysians were participating.

Tunku Imran said a tv sports channel was the "missing link" in the country's efforts to develop sports to higher levels.

"All our TV programmes in terms of sports focus on international events. So this is what we desperately need and this is what OCM is talking to Astro about - a sports channel that focuses on the domestic sports and building up the role models," he said. He cited the example of the popularity of squash in Malaysia.

"Why is now squash is so popular? Because everyone is basing themselves on Nicol David," he said of Malaysia's world No. 1 squash player.

"The girls want to play squash because they want to be Nicol David, so I think role models are important and television is crucial to that," he said.

Tunku Imran said he had first approached Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek when the latter was still Information Minister about establishing the sports channel via RTM. However, this could not be done as RTM's channels were not yet digitalised but it could be done easily with Astro.

Ahmad Shabery is now Youth and Sports Minister.

Tunku Imran said as an example, the sports channel might not necessarily cover only the Malaysian Squash Open but the Spanish Squash Open because Malaysian players are participating.

This would also mean coverage of sports like badminton, hockey, sepak takraw and others.

Tunku Imran also said that what many people did not realise was that Malaysia was actually a successful sporting nation although the country had yet to win its first ever 0lympic gold medal.

"I know we haven't won that elusive Olympic gold but we are a successful sporting nation nonetheless". - Bernama

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