Marina: We Have The Students’ Interest At Heart

FLASHBACK: Marina Chin, the queen of the track, is now principal of Bukit Jalil Sports School.

FLASHBACK: Marina Chin, the queen of the track, is now principal of Bukit Jalil Sports School.

I refer to your article ‘BJSS a stumbling block to Malaysian Sports’.

Thank you for the interest in Bukit Jalil Sports School. I would like to take this opportunity to clarify and inform the public about our purpose and functions.

Bukit Jalil Sports School started operations in 1996 to ensure athletes preparing for the 1998 Commonwealth Games and all other athletes of the future, were not deprived of their right to a quality education. The purpose off all Sports Schools in Malaysia is to promote sports while providing access to education.

Bukit Jalil Sports School has always done it’s best to deliver a quality education to all it’s students no matter where they are through modules, online teaching and learning, sending teachers to the various training centres and so on (Example: Sean Gan Gianelli has been in Italy for a year). This has enabled many rising stars like Emmanuelle Mah, Pandelela Rinong, Elaine Koon, Ivan Yuen, Bunyamin Umar and so many others to excel in their chosen sports as well as academically to ensure a secure future.

Rarely does SSBJ make a decision to stop athletes from competitions or overseas training. This is usually a last resort to help the students pass the all important SPM

Examination. Decisions are always made in the best interest of the child.

With regards to Ahmad Syihan, Arif Fadzilah and Mohd. Raphi Mariappen – the decision was made to request that they be left out of the training stint based on the following reasons.

1. They had been playing in the President’s Cup tournament until last month. Playing two games a week (home and away) has made them miss a lot of classes . They are quite far behind in their preparation for the SPM Examination.

2. They have also not completed all of the required course work for the SPM examination

3. The schedule given to the school states that training in Europe will be from 14 July to 31 August, the AFF Under 19 Championship in Surabaya from 9 to 22 September and the AFC Under 19 Championship in Zheijang, China from 8 to 12 October 2013.

This leaves them approximately three weeks before they face what could be the most important Exam in their life, the SPM. If selected, they will be playing in those two tournaments. The school is just trying it’s best to ensure that we produce confident, thinking sportsmen and that these young people have the necessary skills and qualifications for life after sports.

Datuk Marina Chin
Principal,
Bukit Jalil Sports School