KANGAR, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- The 65th Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) Athletics Championships kicked off today at Tuanku Syed Putra Stadium here, featuring a new event -- the Mixed Relay, which combines male and female athletes in one team.
Education deputy director-general (school operations sector) Zainal Abas said the championships, which run until Aug 23, involve about 1,400 students from across the country, with 120 gold medals at stake in three categories.
“The three categories are Under-12, Under-15 and Under-18. The introduction of the Mixed Relay brings a new dimension to MSSM while empowering pupils’ talent in athletics,” he told reporters after opening the championships at the stadium last night.
Zainal said athletics is one of the largest sports in MSSM, attracting the most participants, and over the years has produced many national talents, including national sprint ace Khairul Hafiz Jantan.
“This championship is not only a competitive arena but also helps instil discipline, sportsmanship and noble values among pupils, apart from being a foundation for national sports development,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zainal said the Ministry of Education is targeting 38 gold medals in 10 events, including two new sports -- archery and sepak takraw -- at the 10th Malaysian Educational Institutions Sports (SIPMA) scheduled to be held at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, from Sept 1 to 7.
-- BERNAMA
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