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KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Marina Chin (pic), former principal of Bukit Jalil Sports School (SSBJ) and a national athletics legend, has voiced opposition to the idea of establishing a university or college at SSBJ.

Marina argues that sports students at SSBJ possess diverse talents and potential beyond sports, which should be nurtured rather than restricted.

“Students at SSBJ have lives beyond sports. They are not limited to athletic careers. I’ve had many students excel in both sports and other fields, such as singing and academics. Why should we confine their future to sports careers alone?” she said.

“If they wish to continue in sports, that’s fine, they can become coaches. In fact, most coaches at SSBJ are former athletes who pursued higher education and returned as coaches," she added.

Marina’s comments follow recent discussions about establishing a university or college within SSBJ.

She also emphasised the importance of maintaining the current age limit for SSBJ students to ensure a balanced approach between academic pursuits and athletic training.

This debate follows a proposal by Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, President of the Malaysian Athletics Federation (KOM), who suggested in July that the government establish a sports university to ensure athletes, especially graduates of sports schools, continue contributing to the sports industry and safeguard Malaysia’s talent pool.

Sports analyst Datuk Pekan Ramli has suggested that instead of creating a new institution, Malaysia could upgrade the facilities of existing sports schools to establish a sports university.