Sukma 2018 venues to be ready by February

State Secretary Datuk Seri Abdul Puhat Mat Nayan (seventh from left) inspected work on the athletic track in Stadium Perak earlier this week. The venues for next year’s Sukma games are expected to be ready by next February.

WORK on sports facilities in Perak that will be used as the venues for the Malaysia Games (Sukma 2018) are expected to be fully completed by next February.

The work involves new buildings to house sports facilities and the upgrading and renovation of other venues for the games that will be held in several locations in the state next September.

State Secretary Datuk Seri Abdul Puhat Mat Nayan said work is being done on the aquatic centre, shooting range, badminton and squash courts, hockey and rugby fields, as well as facilities inside the Perak Stadium and Indera Mulia Stadium.

Abdul Puhat said RM160mil has been allocated to construct, upgrade and renovate venues for the games.

He added that 29 different sports will be contested in 37 venues spread across the 12 districts in the state.

Abdul Puhat (front row, second from left) and Zamri Man (right) were part of a group of officials who checked on the progress of the renovation work being done on the Stadium Indera Mulia.

 

“This is because Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir wants the games to be held at several locations so that everybody can be part of the event.

“Besides Ipoh, events will be held in Manjung, Taiping, Bagan Datuk, Teluk Intan, Grik, Parit Buntar, Tanjung Malim, Lumut and Seri Iskandar,” he said during his tour to check on the progress of facilities around the Perak Stadium, and the shooting complex under construction in Chepor.

Among those in the entourage were state Youth and Sports Committee Chairman Datuk Shahrul Zaman Yahya, Ipoh Mayor Datuk Zamri Man, Public Works Department Director Datuk Jamilol Nasir Saad, State Financial Officer Datuk Mohd Ghazali Jalal, and officers from various government agencies.

Abdul Puhat said the aquatic centre and the shooting complex are new buildings.

He said, once complete the state-of-the-art buildings will meet international standards.

The new diving and swimming arena being built for Sukma will accommodate more spectators and facilities. Sporting events for the games will take place in 37 venues spread across the state’s 12 districts.

 

“For example, the shooting range complex is the first in the country to have 60 firing lanes,” he added.

Sukma Special Project General Manager Nasfiza Mokhtar said, currently the shooting ranges in Subang and Langkawi have only 50 lanes.

“This complex will also have a final hall for the top 10 finalists to compete in,” she said.

Abdul Puhat said a pre-Sukma event will be held at all the new and upgraded sports complexes next June to test the venues and equipment.

“We need to carry out the event at least three months before Sukma to ensure everything is working properly.”

Abdul Puhat (second from left) also inspected the state-of-the-art Chemor shooting range being built for next year’s Sukma games.