Thinaah Awarded OUM Scholarship

National badminton player, Thinaah Muralitharan, has been conferred a scholarship for her Bachelor of Education (Teaching English as a Second Language) with Honours programme.

The scholarship for the programme, also known as BETESL, covers the semesters from January 2023 to May 2024. It was presented at a ceremony held at Menara OUM on 28 February.

In his opening speech, OUM President/Vice-Chancellor, Prof Dr Ahmad Izanee Awang, said: “Athletes like Thinaah lead incredibly demanding lives. Their days are consumed by rigorous training and competitions, both locally and abroad. Their schedule is often unpredictable and subject to the demands of their sport.

“We understand these challenges so we offer a flexible approach to education. All our programmes are online so that they can fit their studies around their lives while continuing to bring pride to the nation.

“Thinaah, your achievements reflect the values we uphold at OUM – perseverance, dedication, and a commitment to excellence. We are confident that you will continue to make us proud both on and off the badminton court. OUM is conferring this scholarship upon you as a way to express our support.”

According to Thinaah, 26, she chose to study BETESL over a sports-related course as it aligns with her interest in the English language.

“Since I travel a lot, being proficient in English is crucial as it is a major language. This is one of the reasons why I chose this course and I am confident that I made the right choice,” said Thinaah, who is also fluent in Tamil, Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia.

According to Thinaah’s father, it was her sister who researched and discovered OUM, as with regular training sessions, it was not possible for Thinaah to study full-time.

Ramash Ananth Ganeson, the Director of the Shah Alam Learning Centre, where Thinaah is enrolled, remarked that she performed well in her studies, consistently maintaining a good CGPA.

Ultimately, Thinaah said OUM’s flexible approach of having all classes online made it easy for her to further her education. “I’m able to study and do my assignments no matter where I am in the world.”

“Never give up on your dreams, if you work hard enough you can achieve more than what you can dream of.”