Padawan needs Indoor Stadium
by Lester Mekan Baha, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on July 24, 2012, Tuesday
ATHLETICS MEET: SMK Penrissen held their 42nd annual sports meet at Padawan Sports Complex recently.
KUCHING: Sports enthusiasts from Padawan have requested the government to construct an Indoor Stadium at the present Padawan Sports complex, Siburan.
Deputy Minister of Tourism, Datuk James Dawos Mamit responding to the request said that the government will consider expanding Padawan Sports Complex after they have received the proposal from the agency taking charge of the stadium.
“I will definitely give my full support for the indoor stadium to be constructed as an expansion of Padawan Sports Complex.
The idea of having the present mini stadium was initially mooted by me and many people were against it as they say it is a waste of money and would not be of much use to the communities around here.
But what we see now proved the project skeptics wrong as members of the public are fully using the facilities by bringing their families to jog or exercise and that sort of activities are very healthy to strengthen family ties,” commented Dawos to The Borneo Post when met at his office yesterday.
However, he added that at the initial stage, the agency taking charge of the operation of the stadium have to send the project’s extension proposal to the federal government for financing.
At the moment, the stadium is only built with a running track and sports enthusiasts suggested that an indoor stadium which could accommodate basketball, futsal and volleyball would develop the sports in the area.
The indoor stadium’s proposal was lauded by the State Basketball Technical chairman Chua Sim Huat who added that the stadium would be the perfect venue for his basketball team to train.
Chua who is also SMK Siburan’s basketball team head coach said the school’s Boys under 15,18 and Girls U-18 are four times defending champions of the Kuching MSSN Inter-School basketball championships.
Some of his players have represented Kuching Division or Sarawak with Chong Mui Khiun played for Malaysia during the national’s playing tour in Australia last month.
In another related development, the Public Relations Officer of Padawan Municipal council (MPP) Hamidah Ahmad revealed that the sports complex is fully booked until the end of the year by government and private agencies.
“A fee of RM70 is charged by MPP to use the facilities and is the cheapest compared to fees charged by other stadiums of the same standard throughout state. Members of the public are free to use the stadium to exercise. I also come to understand that the gate to the stadium are opened as early as 5.30am and closes as late as
7.00pm to the public and now almost every week schools around here hold their annual sports meets in the stadium,” Hamidah informed.
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