Better late than never for skate enthusiasts
When Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein was the Youth and Sports Minister from 1999 to 2004, he brought the Asian X-Games to Malaysia. Extreme sports enthusiasts were elated with the initiative. A skate park was even built at Bukit Kiara. But there were those who questioned the need for the ministry to spend "millions" to obtain the hosting rights from 2002 to 2004 . Fast forward to today, skateboarding has been added to the upcoming Asian Games in Indonesia. The sport will also be contested at the 2020 Olympics. Last month, the Youth and Sports Ministry announced "skateboarding and climbing were also on the National Sports Council's agenda in expanding the scope of national sports" . The NSC is also tasked to organise a national championship for skateboarding. Some call it a missed opportunity. If officials within the ministry had followed through Hishammuddin's initiative, we could have a larger pool of talents today. We have the likes of Joe...