By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Feb 10: Sarawak’s first High Performance Centre (HPC), designed to provide state-of-the-art training facilities, is set to be established this year.
Minister of Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah noted that a Sarawak delegation will soon visit Australia to study high-performance sports development, following a similar trip to South Korea last year.
“Gone are the days when sports were just about continuous training.
“We must look into the science behind it—the food intake, muscle focus, and other key aspects that contribute to peak performance,” he told reporters after officiating the 2025 Youth and Sports Grant presentation ceremony at Baitul Makmur II today.
While the first HPC will be set up in Kuching, Abdul Karim said the Sarawak government aims to expand the concept to Sibu and Miri in the future.
“But it will not be immediate, as we need qualified sports scientists to operate these high-performance centres.
“If we build without skilled personnel, they will just become white elephants,” he cautioned.
He clarified that while the facility itself will not be a massive structure, its significance lies in the specialised equipment housed within.
“For instance, if an athlete is preparing for a competition in a 20-degree environment, there should be training cubicles to help them acclimatise,” he explained. – DayakDaily
