S’wak plans a ‘Bukit Jalil’ in Kuching
KUCHING: The Sarawak Government is planning to have a high performance sports centre such as the Bukit Jalil Sports Complex here.
Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Snowdan Lawan said the high performance sports centre would help to realise Sarawak’s aim to become a sports powerhouse in the country.
“We want the best of the best athletes and that’s why the state government is serious in building the best sports facilities and we are looking to have a Bukit Jalil in Kuching,” he said at the welcoming dinner for the Kuching Unity Karate Championship at a local hotel on Thursday.
He was representing Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Snowdan, who is Balai Ringin assemblyman, said early this year, his ministry had visited the high performance centres in New Zealand and Australia to learn how their sports programmes worked.
“New Zealand is only a small country with a population of three million people and yet they are able to produce many Olympic gold pointed out.
“We are also looking at upgrading our sports facilities with digital technology and that’s why we have also visited South Korea and engaged their experts in the move to have “smart stadiums”.
The assistant minister added medalists,” he that the government is not only serious in developing sports facilities in Kuching but also in other divisions as well.
This is to enable Sarawak to groom its sports talents into high calibre athletes who can bring honour to the state and country at international competitions.
“We have many talented athletes not only in towns but also outside the towns especially in the rural areas,” he noted, citing an example of Olympic bronze medalist in diving Pandelela Rinong who hailed from a village in Bau.
At the same time, Snowdan said the ministry also support the organising of international sports events because it will not only help the tourism industry in Sarawak but also provide exposure for local athletes.
He was pleased that another international sports event, the Kuching Unity Karate Championship, is being held at the Sarawak Indoor Stadium this week.
We are also looking at upgrading our sports facilities with digital technology. Datuk Snowdan Lawan
“This championship has attracted 410 participants from nine countries and this is the second time that the organiser Kelab Asahi Karate-do Kuching is organising an international karate competition in Kuching after the 18th Kobe Osaka International World Cup in 2009,” he said. “I hope that the event would continue to be organised and on a bigger scale next year.
“As we are now a separate ministry, we can have our own budget and it would be easier for us to support the organising of more international sports events,” added Snowdan.
Also present were organising chairman Hussin Osman who is president of the Kelab Asahi Karate-do Kuching, Putrajaya Karate president Dato Thiagu Ponniyah (left), tournament director Loh Beng Hooi and other guests.