Sabah out to produce world class athletes

KOTA KINABALU: The Youth and Sports Ministry will focus on high performance sports and producing international standard athletes in Sabah, said its Minister Datuk Peter Pang En Yin.

To realise this, he said the Sabah Sports Council (SSC) has been entrusted to identify potential athletes, coaches, sport science courses, state, national and international level competitions as well as cooperating with the 38 sports associations in Sabah.

Speaking during his winding up speech at the State Assembly yesterday, he said the SSC has also contributed in the setting up of the Sports Science Satellite Centre and Medicine Sports in Sabah which is expected to be in operation in 2009.

“The Sabah Sports Council will be responsible to provide sports facilities such as sports complexes and related courts. To date there are eight sports complexes in operation in Sabah,” he said.

On the request by the Matunggong Assemblyman Sarapin Magana to set up a sports complex in the area, Pang said he will ask the Sabah Sports Board to conduct a study first.

He also thanked the Merotai Assemblyman Pang Yuk Ming for taking the initiative to support and develop the Taman Cabaran Belia in Tawau.

He also expressed his gratitude to the Kuamut Assemblyman Masiung Banah for accompanying him during the visit to the implementation of the gravity water project by the volunteers from the Raleigh International in Kampung Tanaman, Tongod on Oct 30 this year.

On the request by the Banggi Assemblyman Abdul Mijul Unani to set up a Federal Youth and Sports Department in his constituency, Pang said he had contacted the department concerned to carry out a study on the matter.

He said his Ministry had implemented various youth development programmes to help the State government as well as other departments and agencies to produce first class human capital that could spearhead the development of the State social economy in future.

“The youth programme for 2009 will be more friendly, whereby youth associations will be entrusted to implement their respective programmes,” he said.

He also told the House that his Ministry will launch the Youth Complaint Net called ‘Suara Anda, Inspirasi Kami’ in December this year.

“I hope, youths and other related quarters will give their views, suggestions and ideas to develop youths in Sabah,” he said.