Youth and Sports Ministry list over 1,000 sports facilities in directory

PETALING JAYA: A total of 1,135 sports facilities owned by the Youth and Sports Ministry have been listed in the sports facility directory since yesterday.

With the presence of this directory, it will be easier for the general public to identify suitable and nearby facilities, as well as to facilitate matching between the needs of sports associations and the facilities available for use.

The directory was created to address the issue of a lack of training facilities raised by sports associations during last year’s townhall session (Dec 22-23) held between associations and the ministry.

It also encourages lawmakers to be more strategic when bringing up infrastructure issues in parliament, and avoids problems associated with previous ad-hoc development projects built due to a lack of planning.

Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said the directory, which can be accessed at www.kbs.gov.my/home-fasiliti.html will be improved over time, with the inclusion of online booking and more government-owned facilities.

“Online booking is not included in the directory yet, we’re trying and working on it,” said Hannah.

“However, we’ve uploaded pictures of the facilities, so that the public can decide whether or not the facility is suitable for them or if they want to rent the facility after going through the pictures.”

Hannah also said the ministry is willing to discuss the adjustment of rental rates for national team trainings, particularly for less popular sports that face financial constraints.

“We will discuss rental rates for national sports associations that require training centres, especially minority sports, to look at their financial capabilities because minority sports do not receive a lot of funds and are difficult to find,” said Hannah.

“The directory also helps us to identify sports facilities that need to be upgraded as well as those that are in high and low demand in specific areas.”