Petaling Jaya, Nov 6 – The National Sports Council (NSC) has identified several venues for the SEA Games 2017, which Malaysia will play host, said its director-general, Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong.
He said the NSC was also considering the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s recommendation for Sabah and Sarawak to be chosen among the venues.
“We cannot announce the venues yet until they are finalised with other parties, including national sports associations and the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM),” he told reporters at the launch of the Milo Flame of Energy Initiative here, Wednesday.
Yesterday, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the Cabinet had approved a working paper on the hosting of the Games.
Zolkples reminded national sports associations not to make unreasonable demands on improvements to the venues to bring the costs of organising the Games under control.
“Except for the construction of a velodrome in Nilai (Negeri Sembilan) which was approved in the 2013 Budget, I feel the others are unnecessary.
“It does not make sense to fork out a lot of money to improve sports venues just because we are holding the SEA Games,” he added.
Meanwhile, OCM secretary-general Datuk Sieh Kok Chi said the OCM helped cut costs when Malaysia hosted the SEA Games in 1965, 1971, 1977, 1989 and 2001 and urged sports associations to do their bit by controlling costs.
The Milo Flame of Energy Initiative is the continuation of the Milo Fuels for Champions organised by Nestle Malaysia to garner the support of Malaysians for athletes competing in the Myanmar SEA Games in December.
– Bernama
