KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Sports Board wished to convey its thanks and appreciation on behalf of the State government to the Kinabalu International School in Bukit Padang in generously allowing its premises free-of-charge as the venue for the Malaysia Games cycling events.

The school has also agreed for the organisers the Sabah Cycling Association (SCA) and SSB to make use of its other facilities as toilets, class rooms, front portion for VIP shade and most important its parking areas for the cross country (36km and downhill (1.8km) participants and officials.

The classrooms would be used as the event's technical committee and the ICT computer system, where in a meeting at the school principal Martin Rijswijk's room, on behalf of the school board's gesture, he announced that the school is proud to be part of the Sukma.

The meeting was convened between the SSB Deputy General Manager Mahmood Kalong, SSB Engineer Chris Lean, Martin, SCA technical and venue committee chairman Reijas Anong, to determine the progress of the organising committee.

In thanking the school, Mahmood called on SCA to ensure that cleanliness be observed at all times throughout the competition, which is scheduled for Sept 4-10 at the Bukit Padang area and also around the vicinity of the school compound.

Referring to the cross-country and downhill tracks, Mahmood and Chris were briefed by Raijes where recce had been carried out in identifying the original tracks for both events, as well as several areas where minor adjustments needed to be carried out by manpower to make the track more challenging.

A special committee was also set up by the SCA to look after the transportation where some modified four wheel drives have been identified as well which are meant for transporting officials, media and bicycles up to the starting up including the medics.

Mahmood reminded SCA to cat fast as they are still lacking behind in terms of venues, racing tracks for cross-country and downhill events as the Sukma is just round the corner, but after the briefing yesterday, he was however able to sigh a little relief that all these have been duly looked into.

SSB was initially worried with the slow paces taken by the SCA especially for the cross-country and downhill events compared to the road race and also the criterium events.