A Licentokil personnel sprays disinfectants at the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre in Petra Jaya yesterday.
KUCHING: Sports bodies in Sarawak yesterday welcomed the announcement by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) on Friday (June 12) to allow sports and recreational activities to resume on June 17 under the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO).
However, they have to adhere to Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) guidelines approved by the SDMC.
Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah is expected to make an announcement on the SOPs soon.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Sports Corporation CEO Dr Ong Kong Swee said sanitising works on the facilities will start today and continue tomorrow.
Dr Ong Kong Swee
“In fact, some of the Sukma teams like golf, archery, shooting, tennis, athletics have resumed training while the elite swimmers are waiting for the pool at the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre to be sanitised,” he told thesundaypost yesterday.
According to Ong, other sports such as bowling, gymnastics, squash and lawn bowls are also set to return to normal training once sanitising works on the sports facilities concerned have been completed.
“The SOPs in all Elite Centres and Centres of Excellence will be in place for the resumption of training by the various sports and SSC will monitor closely on the strict compliance of the SOPs,” he added.
Meanwhile, Amateur Swimming Association of Sarawak (ASAS) president Dato Wee Hong Seng said ASAS has drafted the SOPs on resuming training and forwarded it to the Sarawak State Sports Council and Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia.
Dato Wee Hong Seng
“We have to get the minimum SOPs for our swimmers and copies of the SOPs are also forwarded to our affiliates and MSNS head coach,” he said.
Dato Patrick Liew
Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association head Dato Patrick Liew said tennis is ever ready to resume normal training and is waiting for the green light from the Youth and Sports Ministry.
“Currently, our Sukma players are scattered in Kuching, Samarahan, Sibu, Miri and the US.
“We are making arrangements with relevant authorities to gather them for the training preparation,” he said.
Robert Lu
As for tenpin bowling, Amateur Tenpin Bowling Association of Sarawak vice president Robert Lu said the state Sukma bowlers are all geared and expected to return to normal training at the bowling alley on June 17.
All Megalanes bowling centres in Sarawak have been sanitised and disinfected since Wednesday (June 10) and MSNS was due to carry out a physical inspection on Megalanes Sarawak yesterday.
Amateur Boxing Association of Sarawak president Datuk Rahman Lariwoo welcomed the good news and said the training centre will also be sanitised to ensure the safety of the boxers.
Datuk Rahman Lariwoo
“Thanks God that we can resume our normal training and the next thing on our mind is to decide where to send them for exposure.
“That will depend on the Covid-19 pandemic situation in the world and we can only send them for exposure when the pandemic has died down and when it is safe to do so,” he pointed out.
The state wushu elite athletes will also return to their normal training at the elite centre at Kota Sentosa Sports Centre in Stakan once the place is sanitised.
James Ting
“We will also be waiting for the government’s announcement of the SOPs and communicate with the athletes’ parents over the matter,” said Wushu Federation of Sarawak deputy president James Ting.
He added that the athletes are eager to return to normal training after being “holed up” at home since the MCO started on March 18.