Announcement of the inaugural “Beyond the Games: The Legacy Begins” International Conference taking place on March 31 and April 1.
The conference is driven by the objectives of encouraging Malaysians to participate in Masters sports (competitive sports for athletes aged above 35), and optimising the usage of Malaysian sports facilities.
The event also aims to form a sustainable sports ecosystem where Masters sports stakeholders may independently organise and/or participate in sporting activities at public facilities, and the facilities may meet all Malaysians’ sporting activity demands.
YSD chairman Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tunku Ja’afar said the conference was inspired by the inaugural Asia Pacific Masters Games 2018, where more than half of the participating athletes were Malaysian.
He said this showed that there was an untapped pool of experienced professional athletes who could contribute back to society by coaching aspiring young athletes.
This will help grow this segment of the sports industry towards making Malaysia a healthy, active and sporty nation.
“We must find ways to create and promote Masters sporting events for Malaysians. To that end, we must begin with getting the most out of our public sports facilities. I hope that relevant stakeholders will come together for the conference to find solutions and offer recommendations to support the development of lifelong sports in Malaysia,” he added.
The two-day conference will bring together critical stakeholders featuring local and international experts to discuss and share insights on various topics related to Masters sports and the utilisation of public facilities for sporting events.
During the first day on March 31, the Chair of International Olympic Committee Athletes Commission Kirsty Coventry will deliver a keynote address on “Sports for Life: Beyond the Games – An Athlete’s Experience & Perspective” and International Masters Games Association chief executive officer Jens Holm will present a talk titled “The Future for Sports & Recreation for Masters”.
On day two of the conference on April 1, a talk on “Sports & Recreation Facilities for Life: Management & Sustainability” will be presented. There will be panel discussions on both days which will be moderated by accomplished sports veterans — Tan Sri M. Jegathesan and Datuk Marina Chin Bhatt.
