21 YEARS 'FIRST RUGBY STADIUM' WOES

By Tony Mariadass

The state of Malaysian sports can best be summed with the ‘first rugby stadium’ in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, promised in February, 2010, by then Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek who revealed there were plans to build a RM35 million rugby stadium, has still to become a reality.

The Sabah Sukma Stadium when work was about to begin two years ago

Now locked and abandoned

Present state and abandoned

Ten years later in 2019, after change of two sports ministers, the stadium was in construction after a RM10 million was released by the Federal Government.

And now 11 years later (2021), after change of Federal government a few times, the site at Padang Rugby Sukma Likas Sports Complex, 2 ½ Mile Tuaran Road in Kota Kinabalu, is a sore sight and an abandoned project after a promise to build the Stadium was made!

In 2015, then Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, had even dropped by at the site to show his support for the stadium.

Meanwhile in March 2019, another then Sports Minister Sport Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman came out to say the government has agreed to build a dedicated rugby stadium, this time, initially, the stadium planned to be built in Putrajaya but it was then changed to the Kuala Lumpur Sports City (KLSC) in Bukit Jalil. However, it was moved back to Putrajaya.

“After years of delay in regard to building a national rugby stadium, the government has finally agreed to approve an allocation of RM17 million to the Sports Ministry for this cause," Syed Saddiq has said in a media statement then.

"The stadium will be built in Precint 14, Putrajaya on 16 acres (of land). Physical work at the site is expected to begin in November.

"This allocation will cover the construction of two rugby fields, built in accordance with tournament specifications, with floodlights rated at 1,200 lux, changing room and other facilities.”

To top it all it was hailed as the “first rugby stadium” in the country! What happened to the Stadium in rugby where work had begun in 2010?

Has the Malaysia Rugby (MR) got their stadium in Putra Jaya? Abandoned too?

As for the Stadium in Kota Kinabalu, a source in Sabah said that the site belongs to the Sabah Sports Board, but funding for the building of the Stadium is from the Federal government.

“While an initial funding of RM10 million was given and work started but all that has stopped. Work has stopped at the stadium and the contractor terminated.

“Need to check with the current sports minister on the status,” the source said.

 

Putting 'cool' in school

 

By Tony Mariadass

tonym@mmail.com.my

Pictures by: Azinuddin Ghazali

IGBIS' rooftop sports complex

Property  developers IGB Corporation Berhad continue to lead the pack.

With many firsts behind them, their present venture into education see them 

make IGB International School’s (IGBIS) sports complex an eye-opener to combat the growing lack of public sporting facilities.

With many fields in the city vanishing in the name of development over the years and even schools losing their playing grounds, IGBIS show a way where sports facilities can exist despite the growing number of buildings coming up taking up prime recreational space.

IGBIS’s sports complex – a FIFA standard artificial football field and international standard eight-lane 400m running track, pavilion and tennis courts - sit on top of their five-storey carpark!

Situated at Sierramas and Valencia - 12km to the north-west of central Kuala Lumpur – IGBIS is on a 10-acre land, with the under construction MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang line running beside the campus building and a station right in front too.

The sight of the sports complex on top of a five storey left wing building (level 6) besides the seven-storey (right wing) campus building is indeed a sight to behold and be amazed.

A look from the fencing which surrounds the complex will see a six storey drop with the road running below and the MRT station midway between the road and the complex.

The complex accessible from the fifth level of the right wing main building which is the main entrance leads to the five-storey carpark and is also accessible from a separate entrance from a road from the hills of Sierramas and Valencia housing properties.

The campus also has an 8-lane 50 metre international standard swimming pool on level 2 of the right wing. Also located on this level is a fitness and weight training centre.

On level 3 of the right wing it has a very large multi-purpose theatre which can cater for orchestra, dramatic, dance and musical performances with a seating capacity of 540 people.

On level 7, it has an indoor multi-purpose sports hall which is fully air-conditioned which is three full-sized basketball courts big.

Indeed the campus has excellent facilities, for besides sports, it has also outstanding facilities for visual arts, music and technology for its early years to grade 12 (3 years to 18 years-old) international (from as many as 30 countries) and local students for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme.

IGBIS graciously opens its doors for the usage of its sports facilities to the public, especially the community around the area.

“The owners were not only thinking of a world-class international education campus, but also do community service, by opening the doors for use of the sports facilities to the community here and also public at minimal cost after school hours,” said Primary Year Programme coordinator Simon Millward.

IGBIS assistant marketing manager Arvindar Kaur said those interested to use the facilities can call her up for rates and bookings (03-61454688 ext 4652)

Already the Sunarize Football Academy, who also coach the IGBIS football team, have set up their base at IGBIS and conduct clinics on weekends.

“Sunarize academy work in collaboration with IGBIS and for use of the facilities they give us a certain percentage of their income from their academy,” said Millaward.

“Besides Sunarize academy, we already have local football teams booking the field for friendly football matches and had an overnight run event organised here. The local community too have been patronising our facilities.

“The drainage for the artificial turf is excellent and despite a very heavy downpour, the pitch is usable after 20 minutes.”

The 46-year-old Millward who hails from England and has been teaching in international schools in Europe and Asia said that he has never seen facilities like what IGBIS has.

“When I first saw the sports complex on the roof top, my jaws dropped. I have travelled quite a bit and even in places like Hong Kong where space is an issue, I have only seen basketball or tennis courts on rooftops. But here in IGBIS it is a stadium!” said Millward.

“This is maximum utilisation of space and this concept should be an eye opener to developers and even the education ministry, town and city councils who have problems for space to put up sporting facilities in the wake of the challenge to development.”

It was indeed a well thought off and planned campus by the architect AR Design Management and combined effort by the IGB management board. 

The sporting facilities alone cost around RM3.8 million, while the total cost of building the campus including the sports facilities cost IGB about RM108 million and it took three years to build.

There are still space in the campus for more classrooms and boarding facilities to be added in to accommodate about 1,500 students.

It is indeed an innovative idea by IGBIS to have a sports complex on the rooftop to maximise usage of space and if only we can have a few of these “rooftop complexes’ around the country especially in progressive cities, the woes diminishing fields will be an issue of the past.

Here we go again!

Datuk Bandar Datuk Seri Ahmad Fuad Ismail announced on Friday that a new sports complex will be built to a tune of RM100 million in Ayer Panas, Setapak.
I have no problems with sporting facilities built for the public close to their homes, especially with playing field diminishing fast in the name of development.
My question is what is City Hall doing about all the many exiting complexes and playing fields which are in deplorable condition.
And the Mayor's answer on public complaints of dilapidated sports complexes in the city, was shocking to say the least.
Ahmad Fuad said the grouses were mainly on maintenance of the facilities.
So what is City Hall doing about it. Is City Hall's job just to built the complexes.
Another question for the Mayor - has there been any allocation been budgeted for maintenance of the complex to be built in Setapak? Or is it going to get into deplorable conditions after few years after it is officially opened because of wear and tear?
In nearly all the Stadiums and complexes built around the nation, no budget is included for maintenance.
Yes these Stadiums and complexes are suppose to generate enough income for maintenance, but how many of them are actually doing that. Just look around at the many Stadiums, complexes and fields' condition, and therein lies the answer - either poor management or not generating enough funds for proper maintenance.
RM100 million is a lot of money to be spent on a sports complex!
Would it not have been better to build a smaller stadium, but not compromising on the facilities and spend the money saved on repairing the many complexes which are fast being a sore-sight and a hazard to the users.

Below is the New Straits Times story on 7th May (Saturday)
 
RM100 million City Hall sports complex in Setapak

Datuk Bandar Datuk Seri Ahmad Fuad Ismail hopes the new sports complex in Ayer Panas, Setapak would be used to host national events such as the Malaysia Games in the future.

KUALA LUMPUR: The ground-breaking for a sports complex in Ayer Panas, Setapak is expected to be carried out soon. Datuk Bandar Datuk Seri Ahmad Fuad Ismail said the complex, which costs about RM100 million, will be built on an 8ha land belonging to City Hall.It will have a multi-purpose hall, running track, basic amenities and a hostel.
"Apart from providing recreational facilities to the public, we hope that the complex can be used as a venue for sports events in the future, including national events like the Malaysia Games (Sukma)," he said.
"It may need two to three years to complete and will be accessible and affordable to the public."It is learnt that the complex, to be named 1Malaysia Sports Complex, would be built on a vacant land near the Sekolah Menengah Perempuan Ayer Panas in Jalan Ayer Kuning 2.
On public complaints of dilapidated sports complexes in the city, Ahmad Fuad said the grouses were mainly on maintenance of the facilities.

Read more: RM100 million City Hall sports complex in Setapak http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/15fuady/Article/#ixzz1Lol4j1bz