Pierre de Courbetin, founder of the Modern Olympic Games once famously quoted:
“The Olympic Spirit is neither the property of one race nor of one age.”
The mission of the National Olympic Academy of Malaysia (NOA) is to spread Olympism or Olympic Education and one of the catalyst to achieve that vision is through our youth.
Today, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the selection of 25 new IOC Young Leaders who will leverage the power of sport to make a positive difference in their communities.
We manage to get to speak to Tania and asked her how she felt being selected and here’s what she has to say.
“Honestly, I am very surprised and still in in disbelieved that I have actually been selected among so many other great sport leaders who applied. Everyone who participated in the IOC Young Leaders 6-week sprint program and submitted the application are here to make a positive impact in their country. I feel very honored to be selected and represent Malaysia as an IOC Young Leader. I am also very thankful to those who have helped throughout the project application and really looking forward to start this journey!”
As ambassadors of Olympism, the IOC Young Leaders will also play active roles in advising the IOC and the wider Olympic Movement on specific topics, while promoting the Games and Olympic values worldwide.
Tania’s journey in Olympism started with the National Olympic Academy Session for Young Participants here in Malaysia, after returning from the International Olympic Academy; Tania has contributed and volunteered in the cause of spreading the word of Olympism through the NOA and also through the Malaysian Olympism in Action Society, which she is a founding member of.
We also asked Tania would be her core project be about, she replied us with a detailed answer:
“I wanted to create an ecosystem that supports an inclusive and sustainable empowerment program for young athletes in sports. In Malaysia, the importance of the values and life skills acquired during sport has been undervalued due to the overemphasis of high performance. There is also a lack of awareness of inclusion for people with a disability in sport; limited opportunities for leadership roles for them; and lack of exposure of the able-bodied athletes towards the para-sports. Therefore, I proposed a project called the Inclusive Leadership Program. This program is for young athletes of all abilities and we will include participation of 30-40% para-athletes and equal participation of male and female. This program will cover 4 core focuses – sport values, healthy living, life skills and social competence. We aim to nurture competent and sustainable sport leaders and hope they will gain competencies for a successful career.”
Tania was a former national swimmer and she is now involved in the sports industry as a Sports Dietitian, she also lectures part time for the International Medical University in Malaysia and the Taipei Medical University.
On behalf of the NOA, we wish her all the best in her role as an IOC Young Leader and that she know she is truly deserving of this honour.
IOC Press Release:
List of the 25 new IOC Young Leaders here.
Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi was born on the 8th of November 1938. After his retirement in 1991, as an Engineer in the Department of Irrigation and Drainage Malaysia, Dato’ Sieh chose to continue his involvement, full time, in the field of sports, where his life-long passion was, especially in the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).
Born on 21st March 1949, Y.A.M Tunku Tan Sri Imran is the second son of the late Tuanku Jaafar, an elected monarch of the Negeri Sembilan. Tunku Imran was educated in the UK at the King’s School, Canterbury and studied law at Nottingham University before being called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn, London in 1971 and qualifying as a Barrister at Law.