PUTRAJAYA TO BECOME YOUTH FRIENDLY CITY

PUTRAJAYA, July 30 (Bernama) -- Putrajaya, the country's administrative capital,
is gearing up to become a youth friendly city by the end of the year as espoused
by Prime Minister Najib Razak during the Youth Day celebration in May.

Allaying assumptions that Putrajaya is meant for elderly people, Putrajaya
Corporation president Samsudin Osman said various sports and recreational
activities were planned for the city since its inception.

He said one of the latest attraction was the Challenge Park in Precint 20 which
included a wall climbing complex, skating bowls and a cycling track arrayed by
oil palm and rubber trees.

The Putrajaya Water Sports Complex in Precint 6 has become a venue of several
international boat races with the water quality equivalent to the 2B level of
the Interim National Water Quality Standards (INWQS), he added.

"Youths can capitalise on recreational facilities at the lakes for water polo,
kayaking, jet skiing and canoeing. The lakes are also utilised by foreign
athletes for training," he said in an interview with Bernama.

Samsudin said the RM3.4 million (1.07 million) Taman Pancarona Sport Complex in
Precinct 18 offered various sport facilities for the public, including youths
such as futsal, basketball, netball, sepak takraw and volleyball courts.

He said neighbourhood complexes built in every precinct were each equipped with
recreation facilities for different age groups including youths, namely a
swimming pool, a multipurpose hall, badminton, squash, tennis and volleyball
courts, and a gymnasium.

The 162ha Taman Wetland Putrajaya, which has more than 70 species of wetland
plants and 24 species of indigenous fish, is an ideal camping ground for youths
who love outdoor adventure, he added.

The sports and recreational facilities are patronised not only by youths from
Putrajaya but also from other places, he said, adding that plans were afoot to
build youth hostels in the vicinity of the complexes.

Meanwhile, Youth Department director-general Fathul Razi Bakri said more
facilities and programmes were being planned jointly by the Youth and Sports
Ministry, the Federal Territories Urban Well-being Ministry and Putrajaya
Corporation to make Putrajaya a youth friendly city.

He said the Youth and Sports Ministry would form a coordination committee to
study the proposed concept, coordinate sports and recreational activities and
facilities, get partners and sponsorship, and evaluate the programmes.
-- BERNAMA