Children urged to embrace sport values

The Malaysian Olympism in Action Society and the Malaysia Olympians Association concluded a school roadshow in northern Malaysia aimed at teaching children that sport should focus on character-building values.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Olympism in Action Society (MOiAS) and the Malaysia Olympians Association (MOA) recently held a school roadshow aimed at showing that sport should not be seen only through the lens of competition, results, and high performance.

The Olympism Outreach Programme “Up North Roadshow” 2026 reached more than 210 students across three schools in Kedah and Penang.

Held over three workshop days at Northern Lights Private School, SMJK Keat Hwa, and SK Bagan Ajam, the programme introduced students to Olympism, the Olympic, Paralympic, and Special Olympics Movements, sport values, and inclusive play. The final stop at SK Bagan Ajam on June 8 saw the participation of 157 students aged from 10 to 12.

The organisers emphasised that while only a small number of young talents will go on to compete at an elite level, every child can benefit from the values that sport teaches. These include friendship, equality, determination, excellence, respect, inspiration, and courage, which were represented throughout the programme by a values-based mascot named Federic.

The workshops were led by former Olympic hurdler Noraseela Mohd Khalid and para-athlete Daniel Lee, whose athlete sharing sessions brought lived experience and authenticity to the programme.

A key highlight was the “Inclusive Play” activity, which helped students experience inclusion more directly. For many participants, it was their first time interacting with a person with a disability, helping to build greater awareness, empathy, and understanding from a young age.

“Too often, sport is only associated with winning, results and high performance,” said Noraseela, who serves as MOiAS and MOA president.

“But sport has so much more to offer. It teaches values that shape character, strengthen communities and help young people grow into better human beings.

“This roadshow reminded us that when these lessons are brought into schools in an engaging and meaningful way, students respond with openness, curiosity and reflection. That is why we believe this work matters, and why we want to take it to more schools across Malaysia,” she added.

The programme was warmly received by all three schools, earning encouraging support from teachers and school leaders. Each school was also presented with a Federic bunting as a lasting reminder of the values shared through the workshops.

Following the tour, MOiAS hopes this roadshow will be the starting point for a broader movement to build a network of schools across Malaysia that will intentionally adopt sport values as part of school life and learning.