Segala persiapan sedang berjalan lancar dan Kuching kini bersedia untuk mengelolakan Kejohanan Badminton Terbuka Malaysia Celcom Axiata 2017, kata Menteri Muda Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Menurutnya, persiapan fizikal sudah hampir lengkap dan kini hanya memerlukan sentuhan akhir.
"Kami sekarang sedang menanti ketibaan pemain-pemain dari seluruh dunia, yang dijangka hadir secara berperingkat bermula Sabtu," katanya selepas mengadakan pemeriksaan terhadap persiapan akhir di gelanggang kejohanan di Stadium Perpaduan Sarawak, petang semalam.
Seramai 299 pemain telah mendaftarkan penyertaan mereka, dengan Indonesia menghantar kontinjen terbesar.
Kejohanan Siri Super ini menawarkan habuan tunai RM2.4 juta, setaraf dengan Kejohanan Seluruh England di Birmingham baru-baru ini.
Jelas Karim, pihaknya turut menitikberatkan soal keselamatan pemain dan pegawai yang terlibat.
"Kami telah bersedia ke arah itu dan perbincangan serta persiapan mengenainya (keselamatan) telah pun diuruskan.
"Bukan sahaja di dalam stadium, bahkan di seluruh bandar raya ini, kerana kejohanan berprestij ini menjual imej bandar raya ini kepada dunia," katanya lagi.
Sehubungan itu, beliau merayu kepada warga Kuching agar menunjukkan "hospitaliti cara Sarawak" kepada pengunjung yang datang nanti, baik pemain, pegawai, penyokong mahupun pihak media mereka.
Berkaitan penjualan tiket pula, Karim mengakui jumlahnya agak terhad, namun 500 keping tiket harian akan dijual sehingga ke final.
"Ia bersifat siapa dahulu dia dapat dan saya menasihatkan agar datang awal jika anda tidak mahu ketinggalan.
"Orang ramai boleh menyaksikan pusingan awal secara percuma," katanya.
Turut hadir Datuk Bandar Kuching Utara, Datuk Abang Abdul Wahab Abang Julai.
Rudi Affendi Khalik
Fri Mar 31 2017
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