KUCHING: Venue preparations for the 21st Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Sarawak in August are progressing smoothly despite some challenges.
Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu expressed confidence that the venues would be completed on schedule with the cooperation of officers, the secretariat, and contractors.
However, Rentap, who is also the Sarawak contingent chef de mission, highlighted that recent weather conditions have posed challenges, particularly for outdoor venues.
“What concerns me are the outdoor areas because the weather has not been in our favour.
“Earlier today, it was raining during our visit to the archery venue, which means they cannot carry out their work. This issue affects other outdoor venues as well,” he told reporters after inspecting the sites around here today (July 5).
During his visit, Rentap personally reviewed the progress of six Sukma venue locations: Sarawak Lawn Bowls Arena, Archery Range in Petra Jaya, Sarawak State Hockey Stadium, Chung Hua No. 3 Primary School for ping-pong, Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Stadium for basketball, and Hikmah Exchange Event Centre for silambam.
Rentap stressed the importance of addressing these challenges promptly to ensure that athletes’ preparations are not disrupted, thereby maintaining their home-ground advantage.
“We do not want these issues to hinder our athletes from training at the actual venues prepared for the event,” he said.
He was accompanied by Abdul Muktalib Mohamad, sports officer of the Sarawak State Sports Council and head of the Sukma Preparation Unit.
