Tuesday December 18, 2007
Sports carnival to bind community together
THERE was laughter, running, and of course, sweat during the community sports carnival at the USJ12/2F field that was organised by the Residents Committee Zone 3 under the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ).
Youths in jerseys of red, orange and blue were pitting their skills against each other in football matches in the playing field while over at the basketball court at the other end, groups of three were battling it out in their nail-biting basketballchallenge.
Zone 3 chairman K.W. Chang said the event was held to make full use of the yearly allocation of about RM87,000 from the council for each zone committee to organise sports, carnivals and other activities for their community.
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Thumbs-up: The football players giving the thumbs-up to their game together with Lee (in white shirt).
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“We applied for the funds from the MPSJ, which has set aside a budget for community-based events.
“Both football and basketball are for the under-16s, because these students are now on holiday and not involved in exams,” said Chang.
He added that residents in USJ12 had formed their own football club and players from other precincts like USJ13 had also joined it.
“The players already have a good relationship so today's event using funds from the MPSJ will help take this sport a step further, whereby we could provide them with better playing facilities for at least the next one year,” explained Chang.
The football game involved four teams of 16 (11 players and five reserves) in action in the sun-basked field. While three teams comprised youths gathered from around Zone 3 (which covers USJ8 to USJ15), the last was from the Subang Jaya Youth Community League (SJYCL), which had been invited to play.
The SJYCL was created six years ago with parents volunteering to manage and coach their children’s teams. The teams comprise children under 15 years of age.
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We did it!: Lee (right) giving a hamper to the girls’ basketball champions USJ13B.
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Parent Mary Koh, a passionate volunteer helping out the teams, said most of the children playing for the SJYCL were from the various schools under Zone 3 and they had gone to Singapore recently to represent Malaysia in the under-15 league.
Zone 3 adviser Datuk Lee Hwa Beng, who is also Subang Jaya assemblyman, later gave away the prizes and medals to the winners.
He said the event was exemplary of the role of a Residents Zone Committee to not only highlight residents' problems, but also to bind the community together through a neutral medium like sports.
“Today’s carnival is for young people, which gives them a lot of opportunity to get to know each other. It also promotes neighbourliness, which is the sole purpose of having this field and basketball court.
“It’s full here every evening!” said Lee.
He added that there were now 18 basketball courts and five football fields in his constituency, and another two basketball courts (in USJ 2 and PJS 9) and a futsal court in USJ 3 would be added next year.
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Champs: The boys’ champions from USJ13.
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“There are six futsal courts now; four are already there while two (in USJ 1 and USJ 9) are under construction with work starting this month.”
In the boys’ category of the three-on-three basketball challenge, USJ13 emerged champions, with USJ11, USJ12A and USJ14 as first, second and third runners-up respectively.
In the girls’ category, the top four teams were USJ13B, USJ12, USJ13A and USJ13C respectively.
The eight teams received medals, certificates, hampers of drinks sponsored by Yeo Hiap Seng and cash prizes.
Meanwhile, in the football competition, team Toleroe from USJ12 edged SJYCL for top spot, while team X-ni Versus, also from USJ12, was third.
The champion and second-placed teams received medals and cash prizes of RM150 and RM100 respectively.
Zone 3 committee member Ishak Saian said the event was a success despite the small budget they had. “Hopefully, it’ll be even better next year,” he added.