Selangor Journal
The Sepang International Circuit (SIC). — Picture via FACEBOOK/SEPANG CIRCUIT

KBS wants quarantine site for motoring athletes near Sepang circuit

KEPALA BATAS, June 20 — The Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) wants the National Sports Council (NSC) to consider looking for a quarantine site near the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) for national motoring athletes to enable them to train during their quarantine period.

Its Minister, Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said motoring athletes must also be given the facility similar to the Kampung Pandan Sports Complex for national Olympics and Paralympic athletes to ensure they were always fit.

“I will bring this issue of national motoring athletes’ need to undergo training during quarantine to NSC because we understand it would impact their stamina if they were housed in a hotel.

“So, for the motoring athletes, I am thinking of the same model as the Kampung Pandan Sports Complex.

“Definitely, we must find a place which is close to the SIC to be turned into a special quarantine for them (motoring athlete), involving a short travel time. Housing them in hotels will impact them.

“This request is something that should be given attention and acted upon promptly as the motoring sport has brought glory to the nation on the world stage lately.

“This includes the successes of Sharifuddin Azman and Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah,” he said when speaking to reporters after visiting the Dewan Millennium PPV, here, yesterday.

Reezal was commenting on newspaper reports on the disappointment of SIC Talent Racing Team manager Zulfahmi Khairuddin yesterday over the condition for motoring athletes who were forced to undergo the 14-day quarantine at a hotel upon returning from abroad which impacted their fitness.

Meanwhile, in another development, Reezal Merican, who is also Kepala Batas Member of Parliament, said it was up to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to evaluate whether to accept the offer of Tunku Mahkota Johor (TMJ) Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim to manage the Harimau Malaya squad.

As the Minister of Youth and Sports, he could not interfere in FAM and left it to the association’s management to decide on the offer but was of the opinion that Tunku Ismail had an excellent record running Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) club.

Tunku Ismail recently expressed his readiness to offer himself to handle and manage the national squad in international competitions after this.

This was following the defeats suffered by the squad under Tan Cheng Hoe in four international matches to date after resting for 18 months.

— Bernama

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