Chan (third left) shows reporters the design drawing of the new sports complex. The mayor is accompanied by (from left) Lee, Councillor Mohd Taufik Abdul Ghani and representative of the project’s consultant, George Chong. — Photos by Wilfred Pilo01
KUCHING: The city folk will get to have a new public sports facility here once the works on Kuching South City Council (MBKS)’s RM6-million multi-sports complex is finished by the end of the year.
The government-funded project, sited at the Sports Village-MBKS Pending Recreation Park, is currently 75 per cent completed.
According to Kuching South Mayor Datuk James Chan, the facility will serve not only as a recreation centre for the public, but also a viable venue for various events and activities, particularly those related to sports and fitness.
“The new facility is designed to accommodate nine badminton courts, a basketball court, a futsal arena and compound for a number of indoor sports. Apart from these activities, it can even host social gatherings like weddings and parties – all under one roof.
“It is ideally located near Jalan Pending, very close to the city centre. In fact, the location was the key factor in the project,” he told reporters prior to the project site inspection here yesterday.
Earlier, Chan had a meeting with the project’s consultant and contractor.
He said MBKS aimed to make the sports complex as a unifying platform for people of diverse backgrounds through sports, in line with the call made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak during last weekend’s National Sports Day 2015, in which the premier encouraged all Malaysians to take up sports as a lifelong culture.
“From now on, the government is declaring that every second week of October is the National Sports Day,” Chan said, adding that MBKS was ‘definitely’ moving in the right direction with regard to the commissioning of the sports complex project.
“We’re constructing the complex not because we have money given by the government, but because the facility is meant for the people. We have engaged good consultant and contractor to ensure that the project would be completed on schedule.
“I want to point out that this project is never about politics; it’s about providing a sports facility to the public,” he said.
On the running of the new complex, Chan assured Kuchingites that the rates would be affordable for all levels of users.
“We can say that the facility will be very user-friendly,” he said, pointing out that the complex would complement and be supported by the currently-running MBKS Indoor stadium.
“The present Sports Village would be upgraded gradually. It will soon have facilities such as those for wall-climbing and skateboarding, and also walking/jogging areas.
Chan was accompanied by MBKS secretary John Lee throughout yesterday’s inspection.