SELANGAU: The Sarawak Government is expanding sports facilities in rural areas, with the RM11.5 million Selangau Mini Sports Complex project now underway.
Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, said the project, which was planned prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, is finally able to proceed after several constraints including site preparation issues were resolved.
“Although there have been delays due to the pandemic since 2020, the state government remains committed to ensuring that quality sports facilities are also developed in rural areas and not concentrated solely in major towns.
“We want facilities like this to be enjoyed by rural communities so that new talents can be identified and nurtured from the grassroots level,” he said at the ground-breaking event of the mini sports complex recently.
Abdul Karim, who is also Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, said that to date, nearly 18 mini sports complexes are either at the planning stage, under construction, or already completed throughout Sarawak as part of the state’s youth and sports development agenda.
He stressed that the construction of such complexes is not merely about providing physical facilities, but also about creating a platform to produce athletes from rural and interior areas to represent their district, division, state and even the country.
He added that the facility will provide training space for youths and local schools, while expanding talent identification opportunities for competitions such as the Malaysia Games (SUKMA).
The Selangau Mini Sports Complex project is being implemented by the Sarawak Public Works Department (PWD) with a contract value of RM11.5 million and is expected to be fully completed within 24 months from Nov 19, 2025, to Nov 18, next year.
Facilities to be built include a football field complete with an underground drainage system, a 400-metre nine-lane athletics track built to international standards, and a main grandstand capable of accommodating 300 spectators.
