Putrajaya: While public-private partnerships have been initiated in the past to achieve specific national development objectives, the Junior Swing Programme which was launched last week marked an unprecedented step in the country’s junior golf landscape.
Under the three-year strategic initiative till 2015, the programme spearheaded by GolfHouse Academy (GHA), the golf academic arm of RSH Malaysia Sdn Bhd and the Youth and Sports Ministry’s Akademi Kemahiran Belia dan Golf (AKBG) will provide a platform for young Malaysians to embrace the sport not only as an extra curricular activity but also as a future career path.
Providing complete professional coaching programmes to youths between 10 to 15 years of age, the Junior Swing Programme will be based at five centres of excellence to be set-up at Monterez Golf & Country Club (Selangor), Port Dickson Golf & Country Club (Negeri Sembilan), Ayer Keroh Country Club (Melaka), Cinta Sayang Golf & Country Resort (Kedah) as well as Keningau Golf & Country Club (Sabah).
Youth and Sports Minister Dato’ Sri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who was present to witness the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between RSH Malaysia and AKBG, expressed his hope that the programme will replicate the success achieved by First Tee programmes abroad.
“The ministry and its affiliate bodies do not have the necessary expertise as well as the teaching methodology and state-of-the-art technology to undertake such an initiative on our own, so we consider ourselves very fortunate that we have found a high-calibre partner from the private sector in GolfHouse Academy,” he said during his welcome address.
“Golf is truly a gentleman’s game and is special as it is instils good life values and principles such as honesty, respect and humility in our youngsters. While I am aware that they are many junior golf developments undertaken by both the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) as well as other corporate companies, I feel that it is not wrong to provided another avenue through the Junior Swing Programme for the game to be cultivated at the grassroot level and to grow our talent pool of junior golfers.
“I believe that this programme will play a pivotal role in producing the mass human resources in tandem with the growing demands of the golf industry in country as well as deliver top notch amateurs and professionals, who can compete and emerge victorious at the highest level, all the way to the Olympics,” added Ahmad Shabery, who pledged his support for the sport to be included in the country’s Road to Rio 2016 programme ahead of golf’s much-awaited return to the Summer Olympics in four years time.
RSH Malaysia’s general manager – golf David Leow shared his confidence that the Junior Swing Programme will be a step better than existing grassroot programmes, basing his belief on GHA’s tried and tested US Kids Golf and Mizuno Golf School teaching techniques as well as modern teaching aids such as V1 Pro Swing Analysis, Flightscope® launch monitors, K-Vest technology and TOMI Pro putting Analysis at their disposal.
“The participants of the Junior Swing Programme can be assured that they are receiving comprehensive and standardised coaching at a comfortable learning environment as well as enjoy long-term benefits such as sponsorship of equipment, opportunities to participate in high-level competitions as well as explore career opportunities with RSH Malaysia in the future.
“Our team of qualified and certified golf instructors will not only be involved directly in coaching the students at our GHA centres in Monterez and Cinta Sayang but also facilitate and support the existing instructors in independent academies at Port Dickson, Ayer Keroh and Keningau through a ‘Train The Teacher’ initiative to provide consistent coaching methodology across the various centres,” explained Leow, noting that he was in discussion with the golf clubs involved to provide programme participants with better access to golfing facilities.
AKBG, which has undertaken the call to provide trained local course assistants to replace foreign caddies, welcomed the addition of the programme under its stable as an important step forward. The academy’s director Khairul Adri Rosli stated that the initiative will not only get more youngsters involved in the game but cultivate a growing interest among them to consider golf as viable profession and future career option.
