KUCHING: Sarawak is accelerating its ambition to become the national sports powerhouse through a strategic study visit to Australia.
The visit is aimed at gathering insights for the development of the Sarawak High Performance Centre, which is expected to be fully completed by 2026 under the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK-12).
Leading the delegation is Sarawak’s Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, accompanied by Deputy Ministers, Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu and Datuk Ripin Lamat, along with senior state officials and sports administrators.
The visit is part of an ongoing initiative to strengthen the effort towards establishing the Sarawak High Performance Centre, which will be built at the Sarawak State Sports Complex in Petra Jaya.
The project is one of the objectives under the Sarawak Sports Development Master Plan, which aims to position the state as a dominant force in Malaysian sports.
The centre will provide an international-standard training environment focused on sporting excellence, equipping athletes physically and mentally to compete at major national and international competitions.
Since the establishment of the Sarawak High Performance Unit in February 2019, Sarawak has laid the foundation for a structured and comprehensive training programme for its athletes and coaches.
As part of the visit, the delegation is touring two of Australia’s most prestigious sports institutions – the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra, and the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) in Sydney.
Both centres are internationally recognised for producing elite athletes, and are equipped with cutting-edge training facilities, sports science and medical expertise, as well as on-site athlete accommodations and dining halls.
