by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 9: Sarawak is set on developing a world-class High Performance Centre (HPC) to produce international-level athletes, drawing insights from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), a leading elite sports training institution.
Sarawak Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah led a delegation from the State government on an official working visit to the AIS campus in Canberra, Australia today, as part of the Sarawak government’s efforts to develop a HPC at the Petra Jaya Sports Complex.
During the visit, the delegation received briefings and toured the state-of-the-art facilities, gaining insights into AIS’ cutting-edge sports science practices and infrastructure.
According to a report by Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas), the visit aimed to explore adapting the latest sports science techniques into training programmes in Sarawak and generating ideas for improving the State’s sports infrastructure based on AIS’ training model.
The delegates also observed the institute’s integration of smart technologies into its facilities, and its sustainable infrastructure, with focus on user-centric facility design, flexible space planning, and the use of durable, low-maintenance materials.
They assessed the safety, accessibility, and cost-effective aspects of the facility of which could be integrated into Sarawak’s sports facilities for long-term operations.
The visit is seen as a key step in shaping Sarawak’s HPC, which is expected to be a catalyst for Sarawak’s transformation into a national sports powerhouse.
Also present during the study tour were Deputy Ministers for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Gerald Rentap Jabu and Datuk Dr Ripin Lamat, Deputy Sarawak Secretary (Operations) Datu Hii Chang Kee, Daro Assemblyman Safiee Ahmad, and other senior government officials and representatives from relevant agencies.
The visit was also joined by several senior AIS officials, including director, ministerial and governmental relations Gareth Candy, chief of staff Brooke De Landre, and senior ministerial relations officer Madison Searle. – DayakDaily
