KUCHING: Uncertainty over the choice of five optional sports is putting the brakes on Sukma XIV at Bukit Jalil in the middle of the year.
The Sukma Supreme Council, which met on Monday, had apparently not decided on these elective sports for the Games – due mainly to the indecision of 2012 Sukma host Pahang on the number of sports they will be staging.
It is learnt Sarawak — and the other states — will have to wait for these issues to be settled before they are given the green light to compete in the Bukit Jalil Games.
According to Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS) director Francis Nyurang Ding, the snag is Bukit Jalil’s refusal to duplicate the optional sports to be held in Pahang next year.
That was why no decision was taken by the Supreme Council meeting on Monday.
Initially, the proposed optional events include baseball, netball, volleyball, equestrian, petanque, golf, judo, fencing, ping pong, rugby, tennis, boxing and water polo. Of these, only five will be staged in Bukit Jalil.
“The National Sports Council will inform us at a later date — maybe next week or the week after — to confirm which of the optional events will be held at Bukit Jalil,” Francis said.
“So for now, all the state sports councils must wait for Pahang to decide which optional events they will choose.”
Moreover, Pahang have come up with only 15 sports events although the host state is required to organise 24.
Francis disclosed the Sukma Supreme Council wants the dates of Sukma XIV (May 28 to June 6) reviewed as they coincide with the Gawai celebrations.
He also said MSNS will hold another meeting today with the state sports associations to discuss their strengths in the different categories.
“Priority will only be given to the sports with the brightest chance of winning medals. This is due to financial constraints as the Games are now held annually. The other states are similarly affected.
“Take athletics for example. If we are good in the 100m sprint, we will send athletes for that event.
If we are weak in the 800m, we will not send athletes for it,” Francis said, clarifying that even though some sports were listed as compulsory, it did not mean competing in them was also compulsory.
The compulsory sports are aquatics (swimming and diving), badminton, football, gymnastics, hockey, athletics, squash, tenpin bowling, weightlifting, cycling, karate, lawn bowls, archery, shooting, yachting, silat, sepak takraw, taekwondo and wushu.
“It all boils down to budget. So we must be very focused on the events we will be taking part in,” Francis said.
If any sport associations were interested in participating events outside the MSNS list, they could do so by paying their own way, he added.
On the Youth and Sports Ministry’s application for an extra funding of RM15 million from the Finance Ministry to host the Games, Francis said MSNS would leave it to the Ministry to decide on the allocation for Sarawak.
He also said MSNS would talk to Malaysia Airlines on a special package for the Sarawak contingent taking part in the Bukit Jalil Games.