The government has demonstrated its seriousness in improving national sports which have seen sagging achievements especially in core sports at recent international championships.

Sports Writers Association of Malaysia (SAM) president, Ahmad Khawari Mohd Isa said the RM103 million allocation announced by Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak when tabling Budget 2015, could boost the quality of sports in the country.

"Apart from improving basic programmes such as talent scout among school students, the allocation for six core sports is also crucial to enhance their achievements at the highest level.

"The selection of sports such as badminton, cycling and aquatics was timely as next year will be the qualifying period for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro," he said in a statement here Saturday.

Ahmad Khaweri said the three other sports were football, sepaktakraw and athletics which have sentimental attachment with local sports fans, and therefore the three national sport associations should prove they deserved to be listed with better results.

He said one issue which may have been overlooked was additional allocations for the preparation of national athletes for major sporting championships over the next four years.

He said this included special funding programmes for national athletes preparing for the 2017 SEA Games which would be hosted by Malaysia.

"The failure of the national contingent in meeting gold medal targets at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games this year raised questions on the capability of the country's contingent as the best contingent at the Asean level.

"We hope the additional allocation will be effectively managed and monitored to ensure leakages do not occur," he said.