BALAI RINGIN: The newly completed Balai Ringin Sports Complex, also known as the Balai Ringin Mini Stadium, is expected to benefit schools, local residents, and especially the youth, who now have access to proper sporting facilities.
Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the complex marked a step forward in promoting community health and sports development in the region.
He said the complex, strategically located between Serian and Sri Aman, began construction in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and is now the largest of its kind in the area.
“The complex is now complete. It offers a range of modern amenities such as an internationally certified rubberised running track, football fields, a futsal pitch, a climbing wall, as well as courts for badminton and sepak takraw,” he told reporters after officiating at the complex’s opening ceremony here yesterday (June 29).
Abdul Karim further said the development of the complex is not only timely but vital, as it provides schools and youth in the surrounding rural areas with a dedicated space for training, recreation, and community events.
“We also hope that one day, with these facilities, more athletes from Balai Ringin will represent Sarawak at the national and international level,” he said.
When asked whether the complex would host any events for the next Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, Abdul Karim explained that the majority of events would remain centred in Kuching.
“The SEA Games will mostly be held in Kuching, but if needed, we might extend some events to Samarahan or even Serian,” he said.
Still, he stressed that the primary purpose of the complex is to serve as a platform for grassroots development, particularly benefiting students and youth in the area.
“This facility is more for development — for the schools between Serian and Sri Aman, and the surrounding communities,” he said.
Earlier, more than 1,200 people attended the official opening ceremony of the RM15 million sports complex.
