Published on: Saturday, August 01, 2009 |
Kota Kinabalu: About 20 acres of the Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex area in Likas here are being developed into a Youth Challenge Park, which will be the first of its kind in Sabah.
The development of the proposed park, at a cost of RM5.33 million and based on the existing one in Shah Alam, was started in July last year. It is expected to be completed sometime late this year.
This was revealed by Sabah Sports Board general manager, Mahmood Kalong, during a briefing to the Malacca Stadium Corporation's Board of Directors led by its Deputy Chairman Datuk Tahir Haji Hassan who paid a courtesy visit to the board's office at Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex here Friday.
Board Chairman, Datuk Louis Rampas, was also present.
Mahmood said the proposed park, once completed, would initially have facilities for rock climbing, a skate park, bicycle track, BMX track and a children's park, as well as a futsal court that will be developed by a private entity.
The proposed park, adjacent to the complex's lawn bowl field, is developed and funded by the Youth and Sports Ministry, and would be managed by the Sabah Sports Board.
Meanwhile, Rampas, said the development of three new sports complexes in Ranau, Beaufort and Sipitang, respectively, is progressing according to plan.
These, when completed between late this year and early 2010, will increase the number of sports complexes in Sabah to 11.
He said Phase 1A of the proposed Ranau District Sports Complex at Lohan Ulu, about two to three kilometres from the township, is already 70 per cent complete.
The development, involving the construction of a football field and a rubberised track, is scheduled to be completed sometime late this year.
The proposed Sipitang District Sports Complex which will be the closest one to the sea is expected to be completed by early next year, Louis said, adding the proposed Beaufort District Sports Complex that will replace the old town field is now in the stage of site preparation works.
The Beaufort sports complex development takes a bit of time because it is a flood-prone district, he explained.
"A meticulous study had to be carried out to enable them to build a sports complex that will not easily sink in the event of a flood," he said.
He said these new sports complex development projects are funded and carried out under the Youth and Sports Ministry. On completion, they will be handed over to the Sabah Sports Board to run, he added.
"Apart from that, we are also continuously upgrading the existing sports complexes including in the city according to the current requirement and ever-changing demands of our clients," he said.
The Malacca Stadium Corporation's board of directors led by its Deputy Chairman Datuk Tahir Haji Hassan was on a three-day visit to Sabah, as part of their preparation for the 10th Malaysia Games (Sukma) that will be hosted by the state for the first time.
"Why they chose Sabah? Probably because we are still the best organisers of Sukma," he said. Sabah hosted Sukma in 2002.
