KUALA LUMPUR – After a long wait, the Sepaktakraw Association of Malaysia (PSM) can finally breathe a sigh of relief as it prepares to establish its own academy at Stadium Jalan Raja Muda, Kampung Baru.
PSM president Datuk Mohd Sumali Reduan said the Malaysia Sepaktakraw Academy Centre is expected to be fully operational by June, pending several renovations to the facility.
“The stadium still requires extensive upgrades, including the installation of air-conditioning. It may take another two to three months before we can officially open the academy,” he told Bernama today.
“We have previously used the stadium for smaller programmes. Now, we aim to further enhance it so it can truly function as an academy,” he added.
Sumali said he received the good news following a meeting with Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, which was also attended by National Sports Council (NSC) deputy director-general (Sports Development) Jefri Ngadirin and PSM representatives yesterday.
Previously, Sumali stated that PSM had been exploring potential sites in the Klang Valley to build its own stadium. However, last October, he indicated a willingness to establish a sports academy instead of owning a dedicated stadium.
He revealed that PSM has been granted a nine-year lease until 2034 to manage the stadium, which is owned by the National Sports Institute (NSI).
As such, he expressed his appreciation for the commitment shown by Hannah, NSC, and NSI in helping PSM realise its ambition of setting up its own academy.
Meanwhile, Sumali announced that the National Sepaktakraw Development Programme (NSTDP) is set to be launched next month.
He described the NSTDP as a significant milestone for the traditional sport, particularly in nurturing grassroots talent.
“At present, each state is working to conduct workshops to provide further clarification on the programme before the NSTDP is expected to be fully implemented in April,” he said. — March 11, 2025