File photo shows Sports and Youfth Minister Khairy Jamaluddin (second left) handing over Sukan Malaysia (Sukma) flag to Sarawak Assistant Sports Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin (second right) at National Sports Council. — Bernama photo
KUCHING: Sarawak has given the assurance that all venues and sporting facilities for the 2016 Malaysia Games (Sukma 2016) it will host will be ready at least three months before the biennial games.
Assistant Sports Minister Datuk Lee Khim Shin said this was to ensure smooth running of the games, scheduled for July 21 to 30.
“Some of the facilities are in the initial stage of construction while some have almost been completed, and we are trying our very best to ensure that all the facilities are ready at least three months before the games,” he told Bernama yesterday.
He said the Sukma will be held at three venues, namely Kuching, Miri and Sibu. The sailing and karate competitions will be held in Miri while Sibu will host the volleyball and badminton events, he added.
Lee said the National Sports Institute was also conducting various courses to produce enough qualified technical officials to manage the games.
On Sarawak’s desire to wrest the Sukma overall title, Lee said training of the athletes was ongoing and the Sarawak State Sports Council was reviewing the performances of the coaches while sports management and sports science courses were also being conducted for sports associations and officials.
He said efforts were being made to bring in good coaches, including foreign coaches, to train the athletes.
“Our athletes are now going through various training programmes at our training centres and towards the end of this year some selections will be done,” he said.
Lee said some of the athletes would also be sent for overseas exposure and competitions outside Sarawak.
“We want our athletes to gain more exposure and experience because we must understand that teams from Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah are also preparing well for the games,” he said. — Bernama