Holding up the Memorandums of Understanding are Assoc Prof Dr Tan Hui Yin (3rd from left), Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, TAR UMT and Encik Ahmad Faedzal (rightmost), the Chief Executive Officer of Institut Sukan Negara, while Hannah Yeoh (back row third from left) looks on.
TAR UMT distinguished itself in the 2nd AgileMAS Research in High Performance Sports Colloquium, which took place from 22 to 24 August 2023, by securing three out of the eight Best Oral Presenter awards across various categories.
Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Sports and Exercise Science students, Liew Hung Yang, Low Ming Jun and Koh Xin Jie, showcased their respective final year projects, where they were required to present their research findings within a 10-minute timeframe and respond to questions from the audience. The trio’s eloquent presentation skills won them the Best Oral Presenter awards in the Sports Psychology, Exercise Science and Performance, and Injury Prevention in Sports categories outperforming four other presenters in each category respectively.
Liew Hung Yang’s research titled ‘The Effect of Pre-game Preferred Music on the Blocking Reaction Time of Elite Dodgeball Players’, aimed to determine whether pre-game music could enhance the blocking reaction time and accuracy of elite Malaysian dodgeball players. The study also assessed other parameters, including arousal levels and heart rate changes. The findings revealed significant improvements in blocking reaction time and accuracy following the preferred music intervention, which involved playing a single song from the participants’ preferred music genre selected from six options (pop, hip-hop, rock, classical, electronic dance music, rhythm and blues).
Low Ming Jun’s research compared the effectiveness of two distinct training methods: flywheel eccentric overload training and plyometric training. The study evaluated their impact on countermovement jump parameters, badminton-specific agility, and flexibility among university badminton players over a four-week period.
Koh Xin Jie’s research delved into balance control among badminton players, specifically investigating whether balance differs between the dominant and non-dominant legs and whether two balance tests are correlated.
All three awardees emphasised the importance of participating in such events for anyone passionate about high-performance sports. They advised aspiring presenters to exude confidence during their presentations, thoroughly understand their research, and capitalise on this opportunity by preparing diligently. They also stressed the significance of actively engaging with their respective supervisors to refine project ideas and progress effectively.
In addition to this, the first day of the colloquium saw the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing between TAR UMT and Institut Sukan Negara, witnessed by Hannah Yeoh, Minister of Youth and Sports. This MoU underscores both parties’ commitment in collaborating on high-performance sports research, with the shared goal of advancing the Malaysian sports sector.
