KUCHING: Until Jan 27, 1,678 athletes and officials from 64 nations have confirmed their participation in the 2019 World Para Swimming Championship and made arrangements for flights and accommodations.
Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah revealed this on Sunday when commenting on Malaysia’s loss of rights to host the championship.
Interviewed by reporters after he attended the “Experience Sarawak” Programme at Kopi-O Corner, Jalan Satok, here, Karim added: “We have conducted many meetings both in Kuching and overseas in preparation for the event.
“I even went to Mexico which hosted the event in 2017and we even guided the participating nations on how to come to Sarawak.”
The minister said the media from overseas also came to Kuching to make preparations.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) on Sunday stripped Malaysia of the hosting rights of the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships scheduled for July 29 to Aug 4 in Kuching.
According to IPC, the decision was taken during its Governing Board meeting in London after the Malaysian Home Ministry failed to provide the necessary guarantees that Israeli Para swimmers could participate, free from discrimination, and safely in the championships.
It includes full compliance with the IPC protocols related to anthems and flags, and where required the provision of relevant visas, according to the statement issued in its official website, www.paralympic.org.
Added Karim: “IPC president Andrew Parsons had said all world championships must be open to all eligible athletes, and sports and politics should not mix.
“But in my personal view, they are playing politics too. Just because of one nation, Israel, they stripped Malaysia of the hosting rights.
“They did not consider the other nations which had decided to join the championship.”
Referring to the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Karim said that the President of the United States at that time, Jimmy Carter, instructed the US and some 66 of its allies to boycott the sport event due to the attack of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (now Russia) on Afghanistan in 1979.
“America is a big country and made the decision based on politics. Although Malaysia is a small country, why can’t we do it?” he asked.
Karim pointed out that Malaysia had no international ties with Israel and because of that, IPC could not accept Malaysia’s policy.
“Sarawak feels sad and disappointed but accepts the decision with an open heart because the state has to abide by Malaysia’s foreign policy.
“The present federal government in its new policy has decided to bar Israeli athletes from participating and Sarawak must follow or else other nations will be laughing at us.”
Karim added that during the previous government, there was no issue over the banning of Israeli athletes from Malaysia.
“But as I said, we have to abide by Malaysia’s foreign policy and take care of the nation’s dignity.”
