THE Penang State Sports Council (PSCC) launched its Penang Junior Coaches programme today with the hope of hiring up to 200 part-time coaches.
State Youth and Sports Committee chairman Soon Lip Chee said the first phase of the programme would involve 10 sports, namely athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, hockey, netball, petanque, sepak takraw, silamban and silat.
“More sports will be included under Phase Two and Phase Three. We want to rope in quality coaches to expand our coaching staff to help develop more athletes for the state,” Soon said during a virtual launching of the Penang Junior Coaches programme today.
“The programme provides an opportunity for the state’s athletes and former athletes to take up junior coaching for a year as a start.
“They will be given an allowance and if they show potential and commitment, they will be considered for full-time job.”
Soon said the programme is open to athletes who are between 18 and 25 years old, reside in Penang, have represented Penang at national-level championships and need to sit and pass the Penang Junior Coaches coaching certificate after registration.
He added that the state government and PSSC take sports development seriously.
“Every sport needs coaches and I encourage every association to organise courses for the coaches.
“Without coaches, the sports will not be able to grow. Very often, we focus on the athletes. Coaches also play a vital role to give a positive impact to the sports in Penang and help the athletes achieve success,” he said.
PSSC director Harry Chai Heng Hua said they have conducted several initiatives, one of which was the Penang Athletes Career Education (PACE) programme, to assist athletes in their education, career and welfare.
For the Penang Junior Coaches programme, he said PSSC, with the collaboration of the related sports associations, would hold a coaching workshop on Aug 28 for interested applicants who want to become junior coaches.
“The launch of the Penang Junior Coaches programme is one of the additional initiatives for the state athletes or former state athletes to give back to the state as a young coach.
“All applicants must participate in the workshop which aims to equip them with the basics of coaching, the role of a coach, the ethics of a successful coach as well as prepare them to be a young coach.
“They need to pass the theory to be considered for the post. And if they show potential and commitment, we may be consider them for full-time post in the future,” Chai said.
For more details on the Penang Junior Coaches programme, call 04-6593713/4/5 or visit https://msnpp.gov.my or email [email protected].
Among those who participated in the virtual launching of the programme were PSSC deputy chairman II Cheah Ban Cheng, PSSC board members Jayanandhan M.Vivekanandan and Lim Lay Sim, and PSSC development sports officers Chiam Ter Min, Tan Kheng Hong and Chew Kok Rui.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Law Suun Ting