Newly Opened $15M Malaysian Sports Center Caters To Para-Athletes

Malaysia is building a RM 49M ($15M) Malaysia Paralympic Sports Excellence Centre in Kampung Pandan -- "the biggest" in Southeast Asia, according to Eric Samuel of THE STAR. Youth & Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that the building would raise the profile of the sport as well as "inspire the para-athletes in the country." Khairy: "The center will serve as a platform and access for these disabled athletes to take part in sports and recreational activities. They can no longer give excuses like the lack of facilities for not being able to excel." The long-awaited state-of-the-art training complex "is fully equipped with top class facilities" like an Olympic-sized swimming pool (eight-lanes), gymnasium, archery range, basketball and badminton courts as well as a multi-purpose hall. Khairy said the training complex "also has lecture halls, a cafeteria, parking facilities as well as a hostel which can accommodate 300 para-athletes" (THE STAR, 3/6).