Facilities for 21st Sukma all ready by June — Karim

Facilities for the 21st Sukma in Sarawak are on track for completion by June, said Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development of Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

He provided an update to reporters when met after officiating the launch of Sukma XXI and Para Sukma XXI at Pullman Hotel yesterday.

“We have identified various venues, some undergoing refurbishment while others are under construction. Our target is to have everything ready by June,” he said.

The 21st Sukma will be held in August.

Asked about the status of the cycling venue, Abdul Karim reiterated that constructing a velodrome in the given time frame was not feasible.

“But we will utilise the FAC land, as we did in 2016, for cycling events.

“However, after Sukma, we plan to begin construction of a velodrome, with hopes of completing it within two and a half years. This plan has already received approval,” he added.

On medal targets for the Sarawak contingent, the minister said that they are still assessing.

“The Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) is monitoring the progress of each sports association.

“We have not yet set specific targets, but once we finalise the Sarawak contingent, we will announce them,” he said.

On the subject of rewards for outstanding athletes, Abdul Karim replied that the state government will provide rewards, as they did in previous Sukma editions.

“However, we do not place high emphasis on it. We want athletes to be motivated to strive for victory, not just for monetary gain,” he stressed.