KL Sea Games: Changes in schedule to be announced this week

Changes in the competition schedule of the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games will be announced this week said Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) secretary-general Datuk Low Beng Choo.

Beng Choo said competition schedules were changed to give preference to the media, especially media involved in broadcasting the events ''live'' throughout the SEA Games from Aug 19-30.

"The OCM together with the Malaysian SEA Games Organising Committee (MASOC) and all sports associations held a meeting and decided that the competition schedule for several events involving a number of sports would be changed.

"The changes to the schedule is important to avoid a clash in the broadcast of sports because it can cause a major problem to broadcasters," she said after attending the ''Sehati Sejiwa Memerangi Rasuah Sukan Bersama Pemimpin-pemimpin Badan Sukan Kebangsaan'' programme at the National Sports Institute (ISN) in Bukit Jalil, here today.

According to Beng Choo, during the meeting, it was decided that several events involving sports like football, diving and swimming would be revised and start a day earlier.

"Football which was initially scheduled to start on Aug 15, would start on Aug 14 while the schedule for swimming and diving events would be decided by representatives from the association. We do not want swimming and diving to be held simultaneously because both have their own appeal to viewers," she said.

She said the changes in schedule was in line with the change in the closing date for the SEA Games from Aug 31 to Aug 30 because Hari Raya Haji falls on Sept 1.

Beng Choo said the change in dates would however, not disrupt Malaysia''s efforts to emerge as the overall champion in the SEA Games.

-- BERNAMA