Malaysian experience good model for RP sports

KUALA LUMPUR (Via Globe Telecoms) — The Philippines is looking at the Malaysian experience — in infrastructure, sports development, private funding and elite sports development — as its model for a long-term development program for Philippine sports.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Carlos "Butch" Tuason said the Malaysian approach — staging the Games in three separate venues (Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Jahor Bahru) — can also be adopted by the Philippines which may not have the space required to stage about 32 sports in one complex and is mulling plans to harness the capabilities of its regional offices nationwide for decentralized training of athletes in its buildup to the 2005 SEA Games the country will host.

Tuason said prospective bidders would be asked to present their proposals to host the Games. Among those that have already shown interest in hosting the event are Bacolod City, Cebu City, Clark and Tarlac City.

The government is eyeing a budget of P6-billion for infrastructure projects, composed mainly of a sports complex that will serve as the main venue, auxiliary sports complexes that will stage some of the events, a SEA Games village for athletes and officials, and improvement of roads and public conveyances.

Officials have abandoned the idea of staging the events at the 60-year-old Rizal Memorial Sports Complex because of the cramped space plus the fact that it would be more costly to renovate the facilities. Malacanang is considering selling the complex for P3-billion, which it will use to construct facilities elsewhere.

The former Clark Airbase has ample space which can be used to construct a state-of-the-art sports complex similar to that of the Kuala Lumpur national stadium, which hosted the 1998 Commonwealth Games. The main stadium, which staged the SEAG opening ceremonies Saturday, has as seating capacity of 100,000.

Tarlac has a 37-hectare sports complex which was 60 percent completed at the time a new governor took over in 1992, after the term of former President Cory Aquino. Former Project: Gintong Alay director Arturo "Bong" Ilagan, a Tarlaqueno, said it may take only P3-billion to finally complete the project way before the 2005 Games.

Former PSC commissioner and currently Bacolod City congressman Monico Puentevella, who was also here to observe the conduct of the Games and the performance of the national athletes as head of the House committee on youth and sports, is the spearhead of Bacolod’s bid to host the 2005 SEAG. The Paglaum Sports Complex, which has hosted a number of national multi-event competitions like the Palarong Pambansa and the Batang Pinoy, already meets international standards although improvements will still have to be made to make it at par with those in other Southeast Asian countries.

The Philippines is also adopting the Malaysian model in the training of national athletes who have already won honors on the Olympic and Asian level as well as in world championships.

Malaysia has produced Olympic champions in badminton and is an Asian power in such traditional sports as hockey and football.

In an interview with Philippine media, Dato Hisham Muddin Tun Hussein, Malaysian minister of youth and sports, said Malaysia’s capabilities in hosting the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the performance of its athletes have generated supported from the private sector. — Gerry Carpio