KL gears up to host its biggest ever sporting bash
KL gears up to host its biggest ever sporting bash
By Gwen Benjamin
KUALA LUMPUR (DPA): With less than two weeks to go, Kuala Lumpur is frenziedly sprucing itself up to play host to Malaysia's biggest-ever sporting bash -- the 16th Commonwealth Games.
Potholes are being paved over, palm trees are springing up along highways, grimy buildings have been painted and clogged drains are being cleaned out.
Surely taxi drivers are being told to watch their behavior, policemen are learning English, and flat dwellers are being advised not to hang unsightly laundry from their balconies during the games.
Banners of the games' orangutan mascot, "Wira", which means "warrior" in Malay, are fluttering throughout the city, while the theme song "Let's Make It Great" is blared daily on television.
The Commonwealth Games will be staged in Kuala Lumpur from Sep. 11 to Sep. 21, and 6,000 athletes and officials from 70 member nations and British territories have promised to come.
With an estimated 500 million worldwide television viewership, Malaysia, which has never hosted a sporting event of such magnitude, is anxious for the games to run smoothly so that national pride is upheld.
"God willing, if the games are a success, the whole world will look up to us," said Youth and Sports Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
Malaysia is the first Asian country to host the quadrennial games of Britain and her ex-colonies. Begun in 1930, the event is known more as a friendly sporting meet than for shattering world records.
The Commonwealth Federation, headed by Britain's Queen Elizabeth, comprises 53 sovereign nations, with the rest being British dependencies and territories.
The Kuala Lumpur Games will see a record number of competitors taking part in 15 events: athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, lawn bowls, bowling, shooting, swimming and weight- lifting, while hockey, squash, cricket, netball and rugby will be played for the first time.
Unlike previous games, Queen Elizabeth will not be opening the games on the night of Sep. 11 at the 100,000-seat National Sports Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
It will be opened by Malaysia's own king, Ja'afar Abdul Rahman, while the queen, who will visit Malaysia from Sep. 20 to Sep. 23, will close the games.
About 800 million ringgit (US$190.9 million) has been spent to build and upgrade facilities for the 15 events, but the bulk of expenditure has been borne by private companies. This includes the 561 million ringgit Bukit Jalil main stadium and aquatics center which was built by a local firm in exchange for prime state land.
Athletes will stay in three, 30-story tower blocks of fully air-conditioned apartments in the nearby Games Village. The flats will be sold to locals after the games.
The facilities have been built, but rushed jobs by contractors have caused problems such as leaky roofs and poor lighting in some venues. A cricket ground was rejected for not meeting international standards, while cyclists complain about the track at the velodrome.
Malaysia's current economic crisis has also bitten into the games' budget. "The events will be staged according to the original plan, but it may not be held on a grand scale especially the opening ceremony," said minister Muhyiddin.
Sukom, the Malaysian organizing committee, trimmed costs by slashing its 310 million ringgit budget to 263.5 million ringgit.
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has urged Malaysians to flock to the games and ignore the economic crisis while the games are on.
"Forget the economic crisis that keeps bothering the prime minister. Leave that to me. You concentrate on making the Commonwealth Games a success," he told Malaysian at a recent sports carnival.