Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Malaysian games: Terengganu in rush to get things going

 Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium is yet to be dusted down with finishing touches still being put into place.
Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium is yet to be dusted down with finishing touches still being put into place.

TERENGGANU is in a frantic race to be ready to host the 12th edition of the Malaysia Games which opens officially in two days.

The spanking new 49,000-seater Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium is yet to be dusted down with finishing touches still being put into place. Even the athletics track is yet to be lined and work on that was still going on yesterday.

Many of the venues have not been able to hold test events and will jump straight into action after being completed. For the spectators, finding these venues within the main complex is also difficult as signages have yet to be put up.

Refurbishment works at the State Aquatics Complex also seemed just completed without any sign of having been tested, while the Kuala Terengganu City Council Hockey Stadium next to it was also still undergoing refurbishment.

The signs are that the general elections and the Terengganu Menteri Besar crisis that followed, resulting in Datuk Ahmad Said taking over from Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh two months ago, has taken its toll on the event. Everything is said to have been left hanging with uncertainty over the leader of the state government.
But Malaysia Games 2008 chief executive officer Arpin Draman refused to blame those circumstances.

"There's no doubt that we're in a race against time. But the target date is not May 28, but May 31. There won't be any activity in the main stadium until the 31st (of May), which is the opening ceremony and athletics only begins competion on June 4," said Arpin.

Officials stated that signages within the main stadium complex will be up today.

NST

No comments: