THE Tamilian Physical Cultural Association (TPCA) lost their sports club and facilities in Kuala Lumpur when the government took the land back almost 30 years ago. They were paid RM1.2mil for the building and facilities but no compensation was paid for the land.
TPCA is now appealing to the government to make good its promise for an alternative site and is hoping for a development grant of RM5mil.
The TPCA field was touted to be one of the best in the Klang Valley.
Since its opening in 1915, until it was acquired by the government in 1982, the club had produced many top sportsmen and sportswomen.
It was here that Malaysia’s top former players like the late Mokhtar Dahari, Soh Chin Aun, Santokh Singh and M. Chandran honed their skills.
Sorry state of affairs: The broken spectators booth at the TPCA stadium. Today, however, what is left of the stadium is an empty field that is overgrown with grass with the club building turned into a store room for old sports equipment.
The goalpost with its broken netting is the only reminder that is left to show the glory days of football, hockey and cricket and the spectators booth has been taken over by creepy crawlies.
The field has been abandoned for years.
Since TPCA was asked to leave, the club has become a shadow of its former self and without a place to call home and members have found it difficut to carry out sports activities.
TPCA president S. Perampalam said sports clubs played an important role in developing young talents.
“It is also a good place for parents to bond with their children who are now getting more and more absorbed with cyber games,’’ he said.
Not much to show for: This broken goalpost is the only remnants of a past legacy. TPCA honourary general secretary Dr A. Karthigesu said parents felt that it was easier to take their children to a sports club to get them interested in sports as well as bond with them.
The emergence of sports and football clubs in the Klang Valley goes to show that there is a demand for such clubs to help hone and develop skills in youths,
“My son goes to the Royal Selangor Club but how many people can afford to take their children there?’’ asked Karthigesu.
“Those days it was affordable but today it is expensive and even renting a government-run facility can cost a bomb,’’ he said.
Development in sports must include everyone and without proper clubs it would be difficult to spot talent, said the founding secretary-general of the Kuala Lumpur Football Association Datuk K. Rasalingam.
Since the club lost its premises over two decades ago, it however, did not stop in its mission to promote sports but has been conducting coaching clinics and has also been on a drive to increase membership.
“Having no roof over our heads has been a problem as it is not easy looking for places to conduct our activities or play football.
“And the lack of playing fields in the city has also become a cause for concern,’’ said the 77-year-old Perampalam.
“With so many fields taken up by development today, it is necessary to have more clubs with training grounds to make up for the loss,’’ he added.
The association has since obtained a preliminary planning approval from the Kajang Municipal Council in 2008 for the construction of a 2.6-acre field for football, hockey, cricket and netball.
Also planned is a two-storey clubhouse comprising a swimming pool, two squash courts, multi-purpose hall and a sports complex with two futsal pitches, six badminton courts and a hostel with 21 rooms in Kajang.
The project is estimated to cost RM11mil and the association is appealing to the government for a development grant of RM5mil for the sports complex.
“Since the compensation paid to us was inadequate when the government took back the land in 1982, there was a promise made to provide an alternative site which is still pending.
“We have a proven track record and history can tell that with proper facilities we can achieve excellence. We just need to be given the chance,’’ Perampalam added.
Great very hard to post this keep it up.web 2 print
ReplyDelete