NSC TO CONTINUE SENDING ATHLETES TO CHINA DESPITE GLOBAL INFLUENZA A OUTBREAK

KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 (Bernama) -- The National Sports Council (NSC) will continue sending national athletes to China for training since there was no directive from the Health Ministry said its Director-General Zolkples Embong.

Zolkples said since the Health Ministry had not listed China among countries
that are barred from being visited, due to the global Influenza A (H1N1)
outbreak, NSC would continue to send athletes to the country.

"We are still sending national athletes to China as the country has many
professional athletes. However, if there is an order to stop, we will abide," he
told Bernama here Thursday.

He added that sending athletes to train in China was nothing new to NSC
because both countries had a very good relationship and results had also been
good.

"After training there (China), the performance of wushu exponents and table
tennis players has improved. Athletes sent there are advised to be careful and
avoid being exposed to any risk of the disease," said Zolkples.

The Malaysian Wushu Federation and Table Tennis Association Malaysia had
already sent their athletes for training in China last month as preparations for
the Laos SEA Games in December and Malaysian Snooker & Billiards Federation are
expected to follow suit, he said.
-- BERNAMA