Latest news with #Kidslympic
The Sun
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Kidslympic Malaysia 2025 launches with Affin Bank and Watsons as main partners
KIDSLYMPIC Malaysia 2025 was officially launched today, marking the beginning of the nation's largest multi-sport event for children. The event, set for October 10-12 at PNB Merdeka Ventures Stadium, saw nearly 1,000 young runners participate in the Kidslympic Malaysia Run Kuala Lumpur 2025, symbolizing the movement's vision, 'From Playground to Podium.' Affin Bank and Watsons Malaysia were announced as Main Partners, reinforcing their commitment to youth development, health, and education. Affin Bank's 'Kids Save Smart' initiative aims to promote financial literacy, while Watsons will focus on health and wellness through on-ground activations. Lim Kien Wei, CEO of Kidslympic Malaysia, emphasised the event's broader impact. 'Kidslympic is not just an event—it's a long-term platform to empower children through sports, education, and community. We invite more partners to join us in shaping the next generation.' Caryn Loh, Managing Director of Watsons Malaysia, highlighted the brand's alignment with Kidslympic's goals. 'Watsons is proud to inspire healthier, more active lives for children. Together, we make fitness fun and accessible.' Datuk Wan Razly Abdullah Wan Ali of Affin Group added, 'This partnership reflects our commitment to creating equal opportunities for children, fostering confidence and unity.' Olympic silver medalist Goh Liu Ying, a co-founder, shared her personal connection to the initiative. 'Sports gave me confidence and discipline. Kidslympic ensures every child gets that chance.' The inaugural Kidslympic in 2024 saw over 800 participants. The 2025 edition expects 1,500 young athletes competing in athletics, swimming, basketball, volleyball, football, gymnastics, and obstacle races. Supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Education, and Kuala Lumpur City Hall, the event aims to nurture future champions while strengthening community bonds.
The Star
12 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
From playground to podium, Goh sows Olympics seed through Kidslympic
One for the album: Former mixed doubles shuttler Goh Liu Ying (back row, centre) posing with participants of the Kidslympic programme. PETALING JAYA: Kids can start their journey towards realising their Olympic dreams from a young age thanks to Kidslympic Malaysia. Former shuttler Goh Liu Ying, who captured silver in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics with Chan Peng Soon in the mixed doubles, started the initiative to encourage more children under the age of 12 to take up sports. In this year's edition, athletics, swimming, 3x3 basketball, volleyball, football, gymnastics and obstacle race will be contested from Oct 10-12 at PNB Merdeka Ventures Stadium in Kuala Lumpur. The event was launched on Sunday, thanks to the partnership with Affin Bank and Watsons Malaysia as the main partners. 'I started Kidslympic with the main intention of helping children develop a better understanding of health and fitness,' said Liu Ying. 'For kids who may be interested in pursuing sports professionally but are still unsure of where their strengths lie, Kidslympic can serve as a platform for them to explore and discover which type of sport suits them best. 'This is actually one of the first sporting events in Malaysia specifically for children under the age of 12. 'It's somewhat similar to National Schools (MSSM) or inter schools championships but without the pressure and competitiveness that often come with it. 'MSSM have limited slots and requires students to go through school-based selections, but Kidslympic is open to all primary school children under 12, giving more kids the opportunity to participate,' added Liu Ying. Liu Ying's achievements as an athlete also spurred her to create Kidslympic. Kidslympic was first held last December and featured five sports – athletics, softball, volleyball, gymnastics and modern pentathlon, where 800 took part.
The Star
12 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Liu Ying: Good communication with coach can help diffuse tension between players
Fun time at ABM: Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei having a chat with women's doubles coach Rosman Razak after their training session under Nova Widianto. KUALA LUMPUR: Shuttlers Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei are back on track as the country's top mixed pair and they're working together for a common goal. While happy with the positive show of oneness, Tang Jie-Ee Wei have been advised to continue to communicate openly with their coaches should they face any tension in their collaboration on the court in future. Former national mixed doubles player Goh Liu Ying said the world No. 4 pair not only need to communicate with each other, but should discuss more in depth with their coaches to ensure they are on the same track and goal. Their coach is Indonesian Nova Widanto. 'Each player will see each other's weaknesses because they want to improve,' said Liu Ying. 'There may be players who feel like using this tactic but their partner may want to use another strategy. I think that situation (in doubles) is very common. 'So, the role of the coach here is very important, they have to discuss so that they can achieve the same goal,' she said when met recently at the Kidslympic programme. In March, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) announced that Tang Jie-Ee Wei were separated to give the coach room to try a new combination following tension in their relationship. Following that, the two of them got new partners, with Ee Wei pairing Loo Bing Kun while Tang Jie paired with Chan Wen Tse in the 2025 Taiwan Open as their first test. However, in April, BAM announced that Tang Jie-Ee Wei were paired again following a request from both players and the result of comprehensive discussions between the coaching team and the players. Liu Ying said that any disagreement that arose was a bittersweet moment that any pair had to go through and she also faced the same situation with her partner Chan Peng Soon once before. 'We quarrelled too much. All pairs quarrel but the purpose of the quarrel was the same because we wanted to win,' she said. Liu Ying and Peng Soon once made history by becoming the first mixed doubles representatives from the country to win a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. — Bernama
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Liu Ying backs RTG push to support pros with better training base
KUALA LUMPUR: Former national shuttler Goh Liu Ying has welcomed the Road to Gold's (RTG) move to support professional players, calling it a timely and crucial step towards better training conditions. Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh revealed on Saturday that the RTG committee is in the process of identifying a new training venue for independent shuttlers under the high-performance initiative. Currently, they are based at a sports centre in a shopping mall in Sri Petaling. On Wednesday, men's doubles world No. 1 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and mixed doubles world No. 6 Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai confirmed their commitment to the RTG programme. Liu Ying, who turned professional after leaving the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in 2018, said independent players often lack access to essential facilities and structured support. "Independent players definitely don't receive the same level of support as those under BAM," said Liu Ying at the launch of the Kidslympic event at Dataran DBKL on Sunday. "In the lead-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021), my former partner Chan Peng Soon and I had to seek help from the National Sports Council (NSC) and National Sports Institute (NSI). "We needed not just a proper training venue, but also a full support team." Liu Ying, who won silver in the mixed doubles with Peng Soon at the Rio Olympics, stressed that proper accommodation and access to physiotherapy are crucial for professionals, particularly during packed tournament schedules. "With the current Badminton World Federation (BWF) calendar, players can be involved in two to four tournaments a month. If you reach back-to-back finals, your performance is bound to dip," she said. "So how do you stay at your peak? That's where a proper support team becomes indispensable."
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Olympian Liu Ying brings back Kidslympic to inspire next generation
KUALA LUMPUR: Kidslympic returns for its second edition in October, with organisers expecting around 5,000 children from across the country to take part. The grassroots sports festival, co-founded by former national shuttler Goh Liu Ying, is designed for children under-12 and promotes sports in a fun, inclusive environment. This year's event will run from Oct 10-12 at Merdeka Stadium and will feature nine disciplines - up from five last year - including gymnastics, basketball, football and athletics. Liu Ying, a three-time Olympian, said Kidslympic was created to fill a gap in the sporting calendar by offering an alternative to school competitions. "Last year was our first edition, and the response was very encouraging. This year, we're expanding with more participants and more events," she said. "In Malaysia, there aren't many platforms like this for young children. We're not trying to push them to go professional - it's about helping them lead active lifestyles. "If they're interested in pursuing sport more seriously later, this can become a stepping stone for talent development." Unlike school-based events such as the National Schools Sports Council (MSSM), Kidslympic is open to all, with no selection process or school affiliation required. "Anyone can register, you don't need to go through your school or district. Even individuals can sign up. We want kids to have the freedom to try two or three different sports and discover what they enjoy," said Liu Ying. Feedback from parents has also been overwhelmingly positive. "Some parents were initially worried about pressure, but they've found that Kidslympic is different. It's fun, low-pressure, and helps their children explore new interests." Although Liu Ying is best known for winning a silver medal in mixed doubles at the 2016 Rio Olympics with Chan Peng Soon, badminton will not be featured this year. "We want to promote sports that don't usually get the spotlight. "Badminton already has a strong foundation in Malaysia, so we're giving other sports a chance to grow and be seen," she added.
