Sports crucial for children’s development, says Tanjong Batu rep

BINTULU (Aug 8): In addition to teenagers or adults, children also have the right to participate in sports which should be instilled from a young age, said Tanjong Batu assemblyman Johnny Pang.

He said sports are crucial for the fine and gross motor skills development of children.

Fine motor skills, he said, involve the ability to use body parts to make movements, including small muscles in the hands, fingers, feet, toes, lips and tongue.

Meanwhile, gross motor skills involve movements that engage large joints in the upper and lower body, he said further.

“Children who lack fine motor skills may struggle with tasks like using a pencil, which can hinder their writing ability.

“Similarly, poor gross motor skills can lead to weak muscle control,” he said during the closing ceremony for the Children’s Potential Day programme for Community Development Department’s (Kemas) preschools/childcare centres, held at Bintulu Civic Centre yesterday.

Pang added sports help to discipline children as the regularity of training and following instructions from coaches teach them to be more obedient.

“Children are like blank canvases, so how we shape them determines the outcome, and building self-confidence in them is not easy for parents.

“Children often feel inadequate, fearful about being in public and anxious when performing tasks under observation.

“However, when participating in sports, their attention is on the game. Though they are aware that they are being tested and in the public’s eye, this is an opportunity to familiarise them with such activities and build their self-confidence,” he said.

In expressing this, he said the involvement of all parties is crucial to foster children’s interest in sports.

“Government agencies, educational institutions, non-governmental organisations, parents and related parties must work together to promote sports as a healthy lifestyle in our society,” he said.

The event, which began Aug 5 and ended yesterday, gathered 340 participants including teachers and children aged five and six who took part in various activities.

The participating contingents were Kemas from Limbang, Lawas, Miri, Sibuti, Baram, Bintulu, and Hulu Rajang.

Pang also said the Sarawak government demonstrates a strong commitment to children development programmes, as shown by the establishment of the Sarawak Early Childhood Development Council.

He said the government’s goal is to nurture healthy, active, cheerful and well-mannered children who can communicate and think creatively and critically, as well as become independent, self-confident and patriotic individuals.

“Early childhood education is aimed to provide opportunities and infrastructure to develop the talents and potential of children in a balanced, comprehensive and integrated manner, so they grow up healthy, cheerful and appreciative of socio-cultural diversity,” he added.

Also present at the closing ceremony were Kemas Sarawak Early Childhood Education Unit deputy director Roselind Wilson Laing and Kemas Bintulu officer Muhammad Iqbal Abdullah.