Kuala lumpur: Former national athletics star Datuk Marina Chin has been appointed to chair a newly established performance evaluation and audit committee, set up by the National Sports Council (NSC), to bolster preparations for the national team ahead of the 2027 SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, NSC director-general Jefri Ngadirin revealed that the committee's primary role is to evaluate the effectiveness of training programs implemented by both the NSC and the National Sports Institute (NSI) across three preparation phases. The committee aims to recommend improvements to existing programs to achieve the target of becoming overall champions at the 2027 SEA Games and securing the runner-up position at the 2027 ASEAN Para Games.

The committee is composed of local experts from various sports-related fields. Members include Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Md Amin Md Taff, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Faculty of Sports Science and Recreation dean Prof Dr Raja Mohammed Firhad Raja Azidin, and Universiti Malaya (UM) Faculty of Sports and Exercise Sciences deputy dean Dr Eliza Hafiz. Additionally, sports medicine specialist Dr Arshad Puji, sports psychologist Prof Dr Garry Kuan Pei Ern, and former national squash player Sharon Wee are also part of the committee.

Jefri highlighted that the formation of this committee represents a novel approach by the NSC, incorporating external expertise to provide independent insights into the preparation and performance of national athletes. This strategy marks a departure from the 2017 SEA Games, where performance evaluations were conducted internally by the NSC and NSI without a dedicated audit committee.

Furthermore, the committee is granted access to training centers and will engage directly with sports associations, coaches, and athletes throughout the preparation phases, ensuring comprehensive assessment and recommendations.