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Empowering Youth Through Sports: Launch Of Malaysia Olympians Association Logo And “The Spirit Of Olympism 2023 Fundraising” Campaign
As part of efforts to empower Malaysian youth through sports, the Malaysia Olympians Association (MOA), in collaboration with Heriot-Watt University Malaysia (HWUM) launched "The Spirit of Olympism 2023" fundraising campaign and a new MOA logo in i-City, Shah Alam on 11 February 2023.
The official launch was graced by Yang Berhormat Minister of Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh, together with Malaysia Olympians Association President Noraseela Mohd Khalid, Haruka Bakery Founder KC Lee, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia Provost and Chief Executive Officer Professor Mushtak Al-Atabi, and Heriot-Watt University Malaysia Student Association President Ilya Sulaiman Dali.
In her speech, Yang Berhormat Minister of Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh said: " We should always aim to empower youth through sports as this can encourage social transformation and contribute to nation building”.
“Sports can also be a catalyst for purpose-driven leadership and I understand that this is the reason MOA collaborated with the students of Heriot-Watt University Malaysia as it is an institution that has positive education as its core, which is aimed at cultivating purpose-driven leadership among youth.”
Heriot-Watt University Malaysia Provost and Chief Executive Officer Professor Mushtak Al-Atabi concurred: "Sports can serve as a catalyst for purpose-driven leadership as it supports the holistic development of youth, who are our future leaders, with long-lasting values and the drive to pursue their purpose of mobilising positive impact on the world. We are grateful for our partnership with MOA and Hakura Bakery towards promoting excellence in both sports and education."
The event also witnessed the launch of "The Spirit of Olympism 2023" Fundraising campaign, where the Minister of Youth and Sports, Hannah Yeoh, and the Malaysia Olympians Association’s President, Noraseela Mohd Khalid, presented the special campaign flag to avid marathon runner Alex Goh Shaw Peng, who is also the first Malaysian to enter the Malaysia Book of Records for completing the Top 10 World’s Largest Marathons. As a volunteer on behalf of MOA, Alex will be participating in the fundraising campaign, which involves a cycling event.
The cycling event, which kicks off from Selangor to Johor Bahru from 11 February 2023 to 18 February 2023, is a symbolic journey of "Olympism." The initiative aims to garner the participation of cyclists around the nation. The cycling journey will include multiple stops and activities in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, and Johor.
The Malaysia Olympians Association’s President Noraseela Mohd Khalid, said: "We hope that the fundraising campaign will help us raise awareness about promoting the role of sports in nation-building as well as building national sentiment, where Malaysians from all walks of life are connected by a common sense of purpose."
"We also hope to promote sports excellence with lifelong values such as teamwork, ethics, and sportsmanship. Most importantly, to encourage youth participation in sports by developing and inculcating the spirit of Olympism," Noraseela added.
In October 2022, MOA organised the "Most-Inspired Logo Designer" competition for HWUM students. The initiative, which was led by the Heriot-Watt University Malaysia Student Association (HWUMSA), garnered a total of 15 most-inspired logo designs that were submitted to the MOA committee, with three students being shortlisted as winners.
Heriot-Watt University Malaysia Student Association President Ilya Sulaiman Dali said: "We are honoured to contribute to MOA's mission to inspire youth to pursue greatness and spread goodwill through sports and education. Through this cooperation, we have acquired some resilience-building qualities, such as the value of perseverance, leadership, and teamwork, all of which are crucial for us to take humanity to the next level."
The top three winners of the "Most-Inspired Logo Designer" competition:
- 1st prize winner: a cash prize of RM300 from MOA, RM800 worth of Haruka Bakery vouchers, HWUM jacket, UniWatt stress ball and a badminton racquet.
- 2nd prize winner: a cash prize of RM200 from MOA, RM500 worth of Haruka Bakery vouchers, HWUM jacket, UniWatt stress ball and a badminton racquet.
- 3rd prize winner: a cash prize of RM100 cash prize from MOA, RM300 of Haruka Bakery vouchers, UniWatt stress ball and a badminton racquet.
- Other participants of the "Most-Inspired Logo Designer" competition received RM100 worth of Haruka Bakery vouchers, UniWatt stress ball and a badminton racquet.