Rundown sport facilities disgust residents

Residents in the Malaysian communities of Serendah and Sungai Buloh are unimpressed that public Futsal/basketball courts are unused and dangerous.

Built at great cost to benefit the Selangor community, the courts now lie unused subject to vandalism and feared asa breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

A local resident told The Star newspaper that the Selangor Government should have factored in the funds needed to maintain these sports facilities, stating “there should have been more thought put into who would be responsible for managing these courts as well as the cost of maintaining and repairing them whenever needed.

“The futsal court in Serendah looks so shabby and it is too dangerous for children to play there. I don’t know whether it is safe as snakes, insects and other animals could be lurking around.

“I have not seen anybody playing here for a long time as it has not been maintained."

At another futsal court located in Sungai Buloh town, the steel fencing is broken, making the likelihood of the ball going out of bounds and landing on the main road a possibility.

The goalposts are also in ruins with rusted steel bars and grass can be seen growing through the cement flooring.

Resident S. Vijayakumar said instead of building such courts, the money should have been spent on programmes promoting healthy activities among youths.

He explained “there is no proper roof so the heat and rain make the cement on the court crack over time.

“Youths broke the fence so they could enter and play for free. These shortcomings need to be identified before more courts are constructed.”