HPTC : WISE DECISION AND SOUND INVESTMENT

By David ChelliahKUALA LUMPUR, March 4 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has made a wise decision and a sound investment in the proposed High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) in Brickendonbury, London, according to an Australian sports scientist.In face of criticism that the HPTC will result in a waste of funds, Hallam Pereira said that, on the contrary, it can emerge as a lucrative long-term money spinner while producing world-class Malaysian athletes."It is a wise decision and a sound investment as foreign athletes can rent the premises for acclimatisation purposes for a substantial amount ahead of the 2012 London Olympics as well as other international tournaments," he told Bernama in a recent interview in Perth, Australia.Pereira, the International Project Director, Sports International Western Australia, said that with such potential, Malaysia has the ability to sustain the HPTC financially as foreign countries clamour for such faciliites.He said the HPTC would also not sacrifice the needs of Malaysian athletes as the centre could adequately meet their requirements and those of other athletes through proper scheduling.He said Malaysian sports has a bright future following the setting up a Cabinet Committee for Sports Development headed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak."This is the best that can happen to sports in a country. You have high-powered management to steer sports to greater heights. No country in the world has such a Cabinet committee," said Pereira, who is attached with the Western Australian Department of Sports and Recreation.Asked if the Brickendonbury HTPC centre would save money for Malaysian athletes to train and compete in Europe, Pereira said it would as the cost to send athletes for training abroad on a piecemeal basis is ever increasing.According to the National Sports Council (NSC), they have spent a total of RM52.3 million for overseas training and competitions from 1999 to 2005.Pereira said that by having a HPTC abroad, Malaysian sports authorities can reduce expenditure for overseas training and offer more athletes to experience such stints under foreign coaches. "The savings however can be channelled into medical and sports science facilities at the centre."Pereira explained how Australia set up such a centre in Italy two years ago to train its athletes and enable them get used to the cold climate of the Alps and compete in European championships.He said that in May 2005, Australia set out to build a A$11 million (RM30.22 million) European training base in the northern town of Varese in Italy. Varese, with a population of 93,000, is located at the base of the Alps and is 382 metres above sea level.Pereira said the initiative was primarily with a dual purpose -- training base for Australian athletes in the Northern Hemisphere and a sports science and medical rehabilitation centre.The training base has no sports facilities on site but, by arrangement with local authorities, Australian athletes have access to several facilities, including an acquatic centre, and rowing at a nearby lake. The place is ideal for cyclists to train on the slopes of the Alps.Pereira said the training base, owned by Italians, was leased to Australia for 10 years with two five-year renewal-of-lease options.On sports science, Pereira said, Malaysia ought to emphasise it at all levels and apply it to further improve athletes' performance.He said Malaysia has the expertise in sports science and the NSC has a world-class facility for sports science at the Bukit Jalil Sports Complex. "Malaysia has a fantastic sports facility infrastracture and has capable people in sports science. The Bukit Jalil complex is a like a Rolls Royce."However, Pereira, whose ideas are often sought by many countries, said he observed that sports science has not filtered to people on the ground who train athletes in Malaysia."I know the NSC has done an excellent job in sports science to boost athletes' performance but the trainers or coaches simply brush aside the results and train their athletes in the conventional way," he said.Pereira praised Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said for having put a lot of effort into raising the standard of sports and finding solutions to plug the ills that hinder sports development.-- BERNAMA