The origin of gymnastics dates back to the ancient Greeks who would use gymnastic techniques and skills to train soldiers for warfare and to achieve peak physical condition, both of mind and body. This can be seen in the pommel horse apparatus, which was used to train soldiers to quickly and efficiently mount and dismount from real horses. Modern gymnastics as we know it began in the year 1881 with the creation of the official governing body for competitive gymnastics, the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) where new events would be invented and the sport would be promoted globally as a unique and interesting form of exercise. The FIG is also the world’s oldest international sports organization. The sport was even included in the very first modern Olympic games in Athens 1896 and has since evolved astronomically in ways the ancient Greeks could never have imagined.
The FIG recognizes and governs a total of 8 disciplines of gymnastics, which include Gymnastics for All (GfA), Men’s Artistic Gymnastics (MAG), Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG), Rhythmic Gymnastics (RG), Trampoline Gymnastics (TRA), Acrobatic Gymnastics (ACRO), Aerobic Gymnastics (AER), and Parkour (PK). Different disciplines possess unique elements and style of execution, with different apparatuses like parallel bars, balance beam, ball, ribbon, or even no equipment at all apart from the floor on which they compete. WAG and RG are famous for their musical accompaniment during competition routines which adds an entirely new dimension to the sport and is extremely popular among the general public that are unfamiliar with the sport of gymnastics. Each discipline places unique demands on the athlete, testing their strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, speed, and stamina to equal the perfect athlete at peak physical condition.
Malaysia has its own official organization that governs the sport of gymnastics at a national level called the Malaysian Gymnastics Federation (MGF) with only a few selected disciplines from the FIG repertoire as their focus and its main focus of disciplines being MAG, WAG, RG, AER, and TRA1. At the state level, the Kuala Lumpur Gymnastics Association (PGWPKL) is the official governing body for gymnastics in the KL, with our portfolio of disciplines being MAG, WAG, RG, GfA, and TRA.
1 Trampoline in Malaysia was restarted in 2014 after its first appearance and introduction in 1996 but was only able to sustain for a period of two years due to the lack of support and funding.
