Courtesy:
Utusan Online www.utusan.com.my

World Futsal c'ship to go on despite SARS outbreak

KUALA LUMPUR April 23 - The KL International 5-s Futsal 2003 on June 3-8 will be held at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil here as scheduled despite the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the SARS outbreak would not affect the staging of the 12-nation tournament.

"We will be monitoring the development and if the situation worsens, we will make a decision before the start of the tournament," he told reporters after launching the book "Cabaran Berbasikal Mengelilingi Dunia" (round the globe cycling challenge) at the ministry here Wednesday.

The 320-page book is about former Port Dickson District Officer Datuk Hasan Nawawi Abdul Rahman's cycling expedition over 26,565km round the globe, passing through 18 nations within 13 months.

Hasan Nawawi, 48, who is now the Kuala Kangsar District Officer, and his younger brother Mohd Ridhwan, 41, had embarked on their journey on June 4, 2001 before returning to the country Jan 27 last year.

Hishammuddin said the Cabinet, at its meeting Wednesday, had given the nod for the ministry to stage the world futsal meet.

"However details on it will be announced later," he said.

Hishammuddin said if this year's futsal tournament turned out to be a success, the Cabinet had given the green light for the ministry to hold it again in 2005 and 2006.

"The futsal tournament in Malaysia will have 21 matches and this tournament is sanctioned by FIFA," he said.

Hishammuddin said the tournament is jointly held by the ministry, Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and ESPN.

On another development, Hishammuddin said the athletes' preparation programme for the Doha Asian Games in 2006 would now be knwon as the "Gemilang Programme 2006".