All facilities for the 19th edition of Sukma to be hosted by Sarawak in 2016 will be ready before the games commences.
Assistant Sports Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin gave this assurance last week, saying this was to avoid any disruption to schedules and causing anxiety among competitors and officials besides projecting the good image of the state.
“We don’t want to repeat the mistakes made by Perlis where the aquatic centre was not ready for Sukma XVII and had to be delayed for one day,” he told reporters in a press conference on Saturday.
Lee said a committee has been set up under the state secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Gani to oversee preparations for the 19th Sukma.
“The construction for the new aquatic centre at the Sarawak Stadium Complex is now on-going and upon completion it will be the venue for aquatic events for Sukma XIX and also the SEA Games in 2017,” he said.
Lee said he had met with the Public Works Department (JKR) and the contractors concerned to ensure that the plans for the centre are endorsed by FINA and Asum before the construction can be carried out.
The new facilities will include a hockey stadium, shooting range, squash centre and a badminton hall.
“For other sports, the facilities will be upgraded and all the venues have been identified.”
The events will be mostly held in Kuching and Samarahan while Miri will host optimist sailing and karate-do, Sibu volleyball and Betong the boxing and weightlifting events.
Lee said the state government will appeal to the Federal Government to release the funds early so that the new facilities can be built as soon as possible.