– extracted and adapted from RAKAN Sarawak October-December 2021 –
Some years have passed since its successful turn of hosting the 2016 Sukma Games, and Sarawak’s commitment to be Malaysia’s sport powerhouse remains steadfast.
While the 2016 national multi-sports event gave the confidence needed to achieve its vision, the State intends to go beyond the glory years of the early 90s when it became Sukma champion in 1990, 1992 and 1994.
For that, Sarawak is determined to produce internationally competitive athletes irrespective of age or disabilities in diverse types of sports through initiatives implemented by Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) and Sarawak State Sports Council (MSN Sarawak) under the Ministry of Youth and Sports Sarawak (MYSS).
Among others, these include establishing world-class training and infrastructure to develop sport talents, as well as utilising and promoting the latest in sport science and education to boost qualifications of coaches and sport administrators.
Providing Top-Class Sport Infrastructure
A major initiative of Sarawak’s sport development is the construction of sport infrastructure that meet international standards.
The State sees it a necessity not only to attract more global sporting events to be held in the State, but also to provide the proper environment for the training of local athletes who have the potential to enter the world stage.
One such infrastructure is the Sarawak Sport Village, which started construction at Petra Jaya Sports Complex in July 2020 and is expected to be completed by 2021, according to MYSS in a written response to RAKAN Sarawak.
A project under the 11th Malaysia Plan that cost RM24.9 million, it will be the centre for elite athletes to continue their training upon completing their secondary education and having exceeded the qualifying age of below 21 years old for Sukma Games.
MYSS hopes that the Sarawak Sport Village will “help Sarawak realise its vision of becoming a national sport centre by 2024.”
The ministry is also carrying out a number of physical Projek Rakyat projects across the State that cost about RM172.3 million, consisting of sport facilities, a sport complex and social infrastructure.
In particular, it is targeting every district to have its own mini stadium or at least a sport facility (e.g. a football field) to encourage more children and youths from rural areas to be actively engaged in sporting activities and even to establish their path towards a sport career.
Investing in Sport Science and Education
Under the 12th Malaysia Plan, Sarawak intends to establish its very own high performance centre (HPC) in Kuching, described by MYSS as “a high-impact project towards sport development in the State.”
Planned and designed based on centres in Germany, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States, the centre is expected to benefit Sarawak athletes who want to achieve sporting success beyond their home state.
“By offering an ecosystem that comprises world-class facilities and amenities, (the HPC) aims to enhance performance as well as mental and physical strength of Sarawak athletes to become champions at national and international levels,” says MYSS.
A HPC usually provides sport facilities and support services such as sport science laboratories, biomechanics, nutrition, athlete career and education, talent search and many others to be able to produce highly competitive elite athletes.
To build the foundation towards Sarawak’s HPC, SSC formed the High Performance Unit (HPU) in 2019, starting off its support services with strength and conditioning, sport psychology, sport nutrition and performance analysis, and then expanding to sport rehabilitation and sport research and innovation.
As HPU-HPC, it will be instrumental not only in promoting applications of sport science and sport management and administration across Sarawak, but also creating high quality coaches and sport administrators who will further advance the State’s sport development.
