High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) project is on

STAR 29/8/06

By S. RAMAGURU

PUTRAJAYA: The controversial High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) project in

Brickendonbury, London, is on.

However, a new sports complex is not likely to be built at what is now the Tun Abdul
Razak Research Centre. Instead, current facilities will be renovated and upgraded for use
by the Malaysian athletes.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said yesterday that the centre was
necessary to realise the government’s vision of excelling in sports at international level.

Football, now at its lowest ebb in Malaysia, will act as the “anchor
sport” at the centre.

Najib, who chairs the Cabinet Committee on Sports, said that although
the proposal was still in the planning stages, they have chosen several
sports, including football, for the project and identified four basic areas
which could benefit and be developed at the 48-acre centre.

Najib, however, repeated the Prime Minister’s statement last week that
NAJIB: ‘There the Government would wait for the decision of the British authorities
are many benefits before making a final decision on the centre.
for our teams in
having the “We have looked at several proposals and there are many benefits for
HPTC.’ our teams in having the HPTC. Football and cycling are two sports
which can gain from a long stay at the HPTC. In London, they will get
to compete against the Europeans and also there is a host of competitions for the cyclists
to take part.

“We also want to see our junior football teams gain exposure in UK, especially the
Under-17 and Under-20 boys,” said Najib at a press conference here yesterday.

The plan also includes getting the junior football teams to play in as many matches
against the English club sides and take advantage of the many competitions in Europe.

Football, one of the eight core sports under the national agenda, has come under fire for
the national team’s poor showing in international matches.
 TO BE THE BEST: The Tun Abdul Razak
Research Centre in London will be used by
Malaysian athletes in their search for glory in the
world of sports.

Malaysia were 148th in FIFA’s world rankings list last month and have not had achieved
success at international level – their best was qualifying for the 1972 Munich and 1980
Moscow Olympics.

They were also two-time bronze medallists at the Asian Games – 1962 in Jakarta and
1974 in Teheran. Their last success, winning a gold at the regional level SEA Games was
in 1989.

Besides football, the Cabinet committee felt sports like archery, squash, cycling,
badminton and swimming would also benefit from the facilities at the centre, which has a
football field, swimming pool and an open area for archery.

Najib said the centre would be able to house athletes for short-term training stints and
also act as a transit point before competition in Europe.

He cited the recent World Badminton Championships in Madrid; saying the players could
have done better if they had used the HPTC to acclimatise before the championships.

(For the record, the national team were in Madrid 10 days before the world meet to
acclimatise.)

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said said the centre was necessary to
mould Malaysian athletes into high achievers.

“Football is still the number one game in the country. We need to give football priority
and we can put this centre to good use,” said Azalina.

Azalina gave an assurance that no new facilities would be built and they have yet to
ascertain the cost of upgrading the existing facilities.
“It is wrong to say that we are going to build another Bukit Jalil Sports Complex in
London. The renovations are all indoors,” she added.

Azalina said that the Rubber Research Institute (RRI), who own the facilities have agreed
to share it with the Sports Ministry.

“Officials from the RRI are also in our committee and they have no problems in sharing
their facilities with us.”