Minister Hannah Yeoh said endeavours would be made to help transfer such talents to other sports, ensuring that the efforts of parents do not go to waste, Bernama reported.

“Sports require athletes to start training at an early age, with rhythmic gymnastics being one of them, but not all children will grow up to represent Malaysia.

“I do not want the initial investments made by parents to go to waste when the children realise they are not that good in that particular sport,” she was quoted as saying after launching a new branch of the Rhythmic Excellence Academy yesterday.

She also praised the collaboration between the Rhythmic Excellence Academy, founded by Malaysian Gymnastics Federation vice-president Petrina Low, and the diving academy in Bukit Jalil, which works with former national diver Leong Mun Yee.

“Such collaboration is what we want to see, where athletes can switch to another sport,” she said, adding that the National Sports Council and coaches are exploring ways to implement the initiative.

Yeoh cited examples of athletes who transitioned between sports, including Lee Chong Wei who played basketball before becoming a national badminton icon, and Tan Cheong Ming, Malaysia’s wushu champion, who first played badminton.