SANDAKAN: The Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Musketeers Football Academy have concluded a two-day sports science initiative aimed at strengthening grassroots football development in the district through scientific assessment and knowledge transfer.
The Sulam-Peak 2026: Performance Evaluation and Athlete Knowledge programme, held from Jan 10-11 at the Sandakan Sports Complex, brought together 30 academy athletes, five coaches and 48 UMS students who participated in comprehensive performance assessments and community engagement activities.
The programme, conducted under the Service Learning Malaysia – University for Society (Sulam) initiative, involved a series of physical fitness and performance tests including Body Composition Analysis, Standing Broad Jump Test, 20-Metre Sprint Test, Illinois Agility Test, Y-Balance Test and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test.
According to organisers, these assessments were designed to develop comprehensive athlete performance profiles to assist in training planning, injury prevention and long-term performance optimisation.
UMS lecturer Zuliana Bacho, who specialises in Sports Science and Physical Rehabilitation, led the programme with support from the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports’ (KBS) Idi Ladinda and Sandakan KBS State Officer Roland Henry.
The community-based learning approach allowed UMS students to apply sports science knowledge in practical settings, aligned with the Sulam objectives.
Deputy Human Resources Minister cum Batu Sapi Member of Parliament Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan officiated the closing ceremony, where he announced a RM10,000 grant to support grassroots football development at Musketeers Football Academy.
Khairul expressed pride in the academy’s pioneering efforts, noting it was the first in Sandakan to establish formal collaboration with UMS in sports science-based football development.
He hopes more such collaborative programmes would be organised in the future.
The event was also attended by academy president Hardy Pudar.
The Sulam-Peak 2026 programme is seen as having successfully strengthened collaboration between the university and the sports community, enhanced sports science literacy among athletes and coaches and contributed to youth and grassroots sports development in Sandakan.
