London Sports Centre, Azalina Clarifies. I Don't Buy The Story, Do You?
Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said Tuesday clarified that the RM490 million cost for the high performance sports training centre in London was only a long-term estimated cost and not an allocation for it to be spent within this year.
She said many quarters had misconstrued that it would be spend this year, adding that the amount was only an estimated cost made by the ministry based on a long-term plan, which might take up to 10 years. "The amount has been submitted to the Cabinet for approval and the allocation sought constitutes the estimates needed for a period of between five and 10 year."
Azalina, in response to a written question by Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) in the Dewan Rakyat Monday, had said that the government proposed to build a high performance sports training centre in London at a cost of RM490 million. She said the site for the proposed centre would be at the Rubber Research Institute's Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre (TARCC) at Brickendonbury where 24 junior Malaysian athletes were currently in training to expose them for tournaments in Europe.
"There are 14 squash players and 10 archers there now. It will not be economical to shuttle them between Malaysia and Europe if they are involved in tournaments in the continent," she said. She said the ministry also planned to send badminton and football players to train at the centre.
On the Asia Games, Azalina said she would go to Doha in September to look at the preparations made by the host country. National Sports Council deputy director-general Datuk Zolkples Embong, who was in Doha two week ago, had said that many of the venues for the games were still under construction.
All said I am still not convinced of the reasons for this very costly venture. When embarking on mega projects like this, the convincing arguments for the continuation of them are many, and they always sound so sweet and reasonable. Only after a couple of years do we get the real picture but by that time it is usually too late as some 'crocodile' has by then swallowed all the millions and we are left as usual with Lim Kit Siang fighting a lonely, losing battle in Parliament.
She said many quarters had misconstrued that it would be spend this year, adding that the amount was only an estimated cost made by the ministry based on a long-term plan, which might take up to 10 years. "The amount has been submitted to the Cabinet for approval and the allocation sought constitutes the estimates needed for a period of between five and 10 year."
Azalina, in response to a written question by Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) in the Dewan Rakyat Monday, had said that the government proposed to build a high performance sports training centre in London at a cost of RM490 million. She said the site for the proposed centre would be at the Rubber Research Institute's Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre (TARCC) at Brickendonbury where 24 junior Malaysian athletes were currently in training to expose them for tournaments in Europe.
"There are 14 squash players and 10 archers there now. It will not be economical to shuttle them between Malaysia and Europe if they are involved in tournaments in the continent," she said. She said the ministry also planned to send badminton and football players to train at the centre.
On the Asia Games, Azalina said she would go to Doha in September to look at the preparations made by the host country. National Sports Council deputy director-general Datuk Zolkples Embong, who was in Doha two week ago, had said that many of the venues for the games were still under construction.
All said I am still not convinced of the reasons for this very costly venture. When embarking on mega projects like this, the convincing arguments for the continuation of them are many, and they always sound so sweet and reasonable. Only after a couple of years do we get the real picture but by that time it is usually too late as some 'crocodile' has by then swallowed all the millions and we are left as usual with Lim Kit Siang fighting a lonely, losing battle in Parliament.
posted by The Malaysian. at 7/12/2006 09:52:00 PM
1 Comments:
Well put sir, and I'm totally convinced some 'croc' has designs already to profit from this foolish and idiotic proposal made by our esteemed Youth & Sport Minister!
Now why do we need a centre anywhere in the world ? Don't we have the finest infrastructured venues right here in Malaysia ?And was all that money pumped into Bukit Jalil not good enough for these "Juara Kampungs"? Wouldn't it be cheaper to just 'hire and fire'(it's always the coaches' fault if the atheletes/players don't win or meet the mark!) the best from around the world and train our pampered lot here, in our world class centres which were built with mega bucks of the tax-paying public? When spending 1/2 a billion ringgit (Or is that in sterling ???) of public funds should'nt we tax-payers be notified/consulted first ?
Please stop this rot ! First change the mind-sets of all those powers-that-be in sports about fair and level choice of candidates. Clear the minds of the powers-that-be in choosing an athelete by seeing beyond the color of his skin, the God he prays to and the connection he has!By the way does anyone have the list of all those training right now in Prickendonbury. What is the criteria and under whose recomendation do these people get selected ?
Let me say that phrase again.... "You can't make race-horses out of asses"....
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