KUCHING: Plans are afoot to set up a high performance sports centre in Kuching soon in the move to produce more future international athletes who can win medals in sports meets like the SEA Games, Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. A delegation consisting of Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Snowdan Lawan, Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports permanent secretary Hii Chang Hee and Sarawak Sports Coporation CEO Dr Ong Kong Swee will visit New Zealand to study the set-up of the High Performance Centre sometime next month.
Snowdan told a press conference on Monday that New Zealand was chosen for the visit as Sarawak wants to learn from them as the country with only a population of roughly four million can deliver 18 golds at the Rio Olympics held in 2016. As for Sarawak, it has only diver Pandalela Rinong who had won two silvers – the last one was in the Rio Olympics.
Snowdan pointed out that Malaysia who had a population of 30 million can only manage to win two silvers and a few bronze in the last Olympics. “We have in the pipeline a high performance centre to be set up in Kuching but we will study first on the budget and other things on the project. “On top of that we will also have a sports school which is the project under the federal funding. “We want to learn from them how to produce and focus on elite athletes as the sports schools will only produce athletes at the Sukma level.
The Assistant Minister who was also appointed as the Chefde- Mission (CDM) to head the Sarawak Sukma delegation to the coming Perak Games in Sept during a Sukma Committee meeting by the Minister in charge of Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Hamzah also said the target of winning of 77 golds in the next Sukma is realistic with the includion of the three sports of weightlifting, Taekwondo and sepak takraw.
Sarawak will do its best to tackle any problems faced by logistics as the State is looking forward to winning the championship title. Nevertheless, they are likely to face problems during the Games as the events are spread out throughout the districts which may pose difficulties for athletes travelling to their respective venues.
