Mukah needs new indoor stadium , says Tellian rep

MUKAH (June 17): Mukah needs a new indoor stadium to boost its sports development, said Tellian assemblyman Royston Valentine.

Sports activities such as hockey and futsal as well as other recreational activities can be carried out with such provision of better infrastructure, he said in a recent report released by Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas).

Mukah, he said, does not have a special field for hockey despite the district’s hockey squad’s excellent performance at state-level competitions, particularly in the under-18 groups in the past few years.

According to him, Mukah won the state-level Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC)-Sarawak Hockey Association (PHNS) Championship for the Boys’ Under-15 category in March, of which its team members were also awarded the ‘Best Player’ and ‘Best Goalkeeper’ awards at the tournament.

Meanwhile, in early May, he said the team also won two categories namely Boys’ and Girls’ 17-year-old age groups, as well as a third place for the Boys’ 15-year-old group in the Sarawak Open 4-a-side field hockey tournament organised by SMK St Columba and Miri Divisional Hockey Association.

Thus, the assemblyman deemed that it is essential for Mukah to have its own indoor stadium for the young athletes to undergo intensive training and prepare them for bigger tournaments in future.

This statement came following his visit during the team’s training session for the Mukah Division School Sports Council Championship at Tapak Kaul, Kala Dana Beach here on Saturday.

Royston has brought this matter up at several state legislative assembly sessions, seeking the state government to look into the needs to further boost sports development in the district.