Abdul Karim: Sukma venues ready despite minor delays

KUCHING (Aug 15): Despite some venues for the 21st Malaysia Games (Sukma) not being fully completed as planned, they remain functional and ready for the events, said Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

Speaking at a press conference after launching the Sukma Sports Village at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) here today, Abdul Karim noted that the archery venue at Lapang Sasar Memanah Petra Jaya is largely prepared, with key infrastructures already in place.

However, due to unforeseen delays, the toilet facilities at the venue have not been completed.

“We acknowledge that some venues we hoped to fully complete before Sukma could not be finished as planned. For instance, at the archery site, the toilet facilities were not completed.

“Since the toilet were not ready, we will be using mobile toilets instead. However, the infrastructure for archery, including the staging area and targets, is fully prepared, and the drainage system is complete.

“We will complete the toilet facilities after Sukma, but the venue will still be used for archery,” he said.

Regarding the BMX cycling track at Bukit Siol, Abdul Karim confirmed that the track itself is fully completed, with only some grass patches still being planted to enhance the venue’s appearance.

“The BMX track is fully ready, though we are still planting green patches to make the venue look greener, especially when viewed from above.

“Despite this, the track is ready for use, and adjustments for athlete entry points have already been made,” he said.

On the status of the hockey stadium in Petra Jaya, Abdul Karim said that the facility was completed yesterday.

“We acknowledge that there were delays in the installation of the carpet for the hockey stadium, but as of yesterday afternoon, everything is ready for use. There are no issues, and the stadium is fully operational,” he said.

Abdul Karim also provided assurance regarding the football fields in Bintulu and Sibu, which are set to host the men’s football events.

“We had come concerns about the football fields in Bintulu and Sibu, but with the help of machinery to level the fields, everything is now in excellent shape and ready for the games,” he added.

In this regard, Abdul Karim expressed satisfaction with the overall progress of preparations across all venues, acknowledging that while minor adjustments are being made in the final stages, everything is proceeding smoothly.

“At this final stage, we expect to have a few last-minute adjustments and fine-tuning, but Alhamdulillah, everything is going well,” he said.