UMS and Musketeers Football Academy Strengthen Grassroots Football Through SULAM-PEAK 2026 Programme in Sandakan

11 January 2026

SANDAKAN: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), in collaboration with Musketeers Football Academy, has successfully carried out the SULAM-PEAK 2026 Programme: Performance Evaluation & Athlete Knowledge, a sports science–based initiative aimed at strengthening grassroots football development in Sandakan.

Implemented under the Service Learning Malaysia, University for Society (SULAM) framework, the two-day programme took place from 10 to 11 January 2026 at the Sandakan Sports Complex. The initiative involved 30 athletes from Musketeers Football Academy, five coaches, and 48 UMS students who participated directly in performance testing and community knowledge-sharing activities.

Throughout the programme, athletes underwent a series of scientific performance and physical fitness assessments, including body composition analysis, standing broad jump, 20-metre sprint, Illinois agility, Y-Balance, and the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test. The data collected will enable the development of comprehensive athlete performance profiles to support structured training planning, injury prevention, and performance optimisation.

The programme was led by Zuliana Bacho, a lecturer in Sports Science and Physical Rehabilitation at UMS, with support from Mr Idi Ladinda of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) and Roland Henry, a Sandakan State KBS officer. The initiative provided UMS students with hands-on experience in applying sports science principles within a community setting, aligning with SULAM’s objective of producing socially responsible and industry-ready graduates.

The closing ceremony of SULAM-PEAK 2026 was officiated by Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Member of Parliament for Batu Sapi, and was attended by Hardy Pudar, President of Musketeers Football Academy.

During his address, Datuk Khairul announced a RM10,000 contribution to support the grassroots football development efforts of Musketeers Football Academy. He praised the academy’s initiative as the first to establish a formal collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Sabah in the area of sports science, driven grassroots football development, describing it as a significant step towards sustainable local talent nurturing.

He also expressed hope that similar collaborations between higher education institutions and local sports academies would be expanded in Sandakan, helping to strengthen youth and sports development across the district.

Organisers noted that SULAM-PEAK 2026 has successfully reinforced strategic partnerships between academia and the sporting community, enhanced sports science literacy among athletes and coaches, and contributed meaningfully to grassroots youth development. The programme is expected to serve as a model for future university–community collaborations in line with national sports development aspirations.