KANGAR: The 65th Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) Athletics Championships commenced today at Tuanku Syed Putra Stadium.
The event introduces a new mixed relay category, combining male and female athletes in one team.
Education deputy director-general (school operations sector) Zainal Abas stated that around 1,400 students are participating in the championships.
The competition, running until Aug 23, offers 120 gold medals across Under-12, Under-15, and Under-18 categories.
“The introduction of the Mixed Relay brings a new dimension to MSSM while empowering pupils’ talent in athletics,” Zainal said during the opening ceremony.
He highlighted that athletics remains one of the largest sports under MSSM, producing national talents like sprinter Khairul Hafiz Jantan.
“This championship instils discipline, sportsmanship, and noble values among pupils,” he added.
Zainal also mentioned the Ministry of Education’s target of 38 gold medals at the upcoming SIPMA event in Johor.
The 10th Malaysian Educational Institutions Sports (SIPMA) will feature archery and sepak takraw as new sports.
SIPMA is scheduled to take place at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia from Sept 1 to 7. – Bernama