KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — Nicol David Organisation (NDO) will be scaling up its Positive Play (+Play) model in more schools and communities nationwide starting next year with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Hannah Yeoh, Minister of Youth and Sports, recently announced the ministry’s intention to collaborate with NDO for greater awareness and accessibility to physical activity, empowering both students and teachers towards building a healthier and more resilient Malaysia.
“Sports and mental health are closely related. As such, the ministry aims to create more space for teachers to explore sports to equip children with the skills needed in better managing life’s realities, including failing and rising again, rules of engagement and physical interactions,” said Yeoh.
She also urged ex-national athletes and organisations to also participate in raising the value of sports, pointing out that there is room for everyone to participate in shaping a healthy nation.
NDO +Play Pilots Show Positive Results
Since the pilot was introduced in April this year, NDO’s +Play has reached more than 1,000 students and 106 teachers at 30 schools in Kuala Lumpur, and three schools in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, and Kuching.
Early results from the four-week programme, which includes a combination of physical activity with positive psychology sessions, show that children improved their confidence in playing sports by 15 per cent, heightened their resilience by 9 per cent, and increased their happiness and life satisfaction by up to 8 per cent.
Many also resonated with the topic of positive thinking, recalling key points and actions from the session.
Teachers in selected schools who joined the +Play Cikgu sessions also showed a jump in optimism and in understanding the importance of regular activity.
Nicol David, founder of NDO and former world squash champion said, “We are excited about taking +Play across the country, serving as a platform to create greater awareness about the many benefits of sports, physical activity, and movement.
“Sports is key to addressing Malaysia’s growing mental health challenges, particularly among children and youth.
“When children move, they build not just stronger bodies, but stronger minds. Through sport, we can teach discipline, confidence, teamwork, and emotional balance.”
NDO co-founder Mariana de Reyes echoed this saying. “Sport isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. It’s not something extra after school or optional for those who are talented, or solely for the purpose of winning medals.
“It’s something every child deserves, because it builds the foundation for a healthy, confident, connected life.”
“Through our programmes, we work in schools, urban communities, and in underprivileged areas, creating safe spaces where kids from all backgrounds can learn not just to play, but to believe in themselves,” said de Reyes.
According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023, one in five Malaysian children now experience mental health challenges.
The same study also highlights that obesity and inactivity are rising, with more than half of Malaysian adults overweight or obese.
Meanwhile, children aged five to 17 in Malaysia have scored an unsatisfactory D-minus on their physical activity and health on the Malaysia 2022 Physical Activity Report Card for Children and Adolescents by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in cooperation with Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance.
“NDO hopes to serve as a bridge between the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Health, to integrate sport-based well-being into the school day, so every child in Malaysia has access to both physical and mental resilience training,” said David.
As part of NDO’s growing efforts to mobilise national awareness and action, the inaugural Sports and Mental Health Summit 2025 was held at Pavilion Bukit Jalil from October 30 to November 2, 2025, uniting leaders from business, education, sport, and government in a shared mission: making physical movement for mental health a national priority.
The summit brought together representatives from the government, national athletes, coaches, and corporate leaders who discussed various approaches to building mental resilience through sport.
The programme included a special exhibition match with celebrity influencers and sports ambassadors such as former badminton player Goh Liu Ying, former world squash champion and coach Liz Irving, Paralympic boccia athlete Noor Askuzaimey Mat Salim, and more.
Additionally, Pavilion Bukit Jalil hosted children and parents for outdoor squash and family-friendly carnival games to celebrate movement, connection and well-being under one roof.
The NDO Mental Health and Sports Summit was sponsored by KBS, Rakan Muda, Pavilion REIT, Affin Bank, Coway, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, and Protech Sports.
