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Sports

Thursday November 19, 2009

Zaiton will keep serving the sports fraternity

By RAJES PAUL

KUALA LUMPUR: Zaiton Othman used to hog the limelight in athletics in the good old days.

Nowadays, she works behind the scenes as a sports administrator and her tireless work to provide the best for the athletes saw Zaiton walking away with the Women and Sport Award in a ceremony at the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) Hall here yesterday.

And the 50-year-old, who is currently the director of the organisation and athletes affair division in the National Sports Council (NSC), has no intention to stop serving the Malaysian sports fraternity.

In fact, she has several plans up her sleeves to elevate the stature of athletes and the standard of sports.

Former national athlete Zaiton Othman receiving the Women and Sport Award trophies from Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Razali Ibrahim at the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) Hall in Kuala Lumpur. — KAMARUL ARIFFIN / The Star

Zaiton was humbled with the recognition from the OCM’s women committee.

“I am honoured and humbled to be awarded for something I am so passionate about. Sports will always be in my blood,” said Zaiton, who was the South-East Asian queen of heptathlon for more than a decade.

“The division that I am working with currently will continue to improve our service for the athletes.

“We are planning to set up a lounge for athletes so that they can have a place to relax and wind down. We are also working on resume writing and public speaking for our athletes.

“It is important to develop positive thought and thinking in our athletes. I was so impressed with the way Nicol David spoke during a launch recently. There was confidence.

“It is my hope to see all our other athletes exude the same charisma.”

Zaiton, who also has the qualification as a sports psychologist, urged women to do more to lift the standard of sports in the country.

“I am sad to say that we are left behind in sports compared to many countries. Parents, especially the mothers, should take a bigger role to promote sports.

“Our sports culture is currently dying and we need to do our bit,” she said.

And she was happy that the parents of Nicol and bowler Siti Safiyah Amirah Abdul Rahman were also honoured yesterday for their contributions to sports.

The OCM’s president Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Ja’afar hoped that more female leaders and decision makers – among them coaches, technical officials, administrators, managers and sports scientists – would come to the fore.

“Obviously, this has to be our next focus,” said Imran.

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