Overseas Premier Construction

Kuala Lumpur Sports City

Sports City
Written by Roma Publications

Kuala Lumpur Sports City

The new Kuala Lumpur Sports City (KLSC), formerly known as Buki Jalil National Sports Complex, is set to be one of the most iconic and distinctive international sporting and entertainment centres in Asia. As a redeveloped and fully-integrated sports hub, KLSC is fully compliant with local and international standards and consists of new world-class infrastructures on par with the most renowned world-class sports and entertainment centres.

Populous and MRCB worked together on KL Sports City with a shared vision for the first stage of redevelopment. Populous is responsible for designing the places where people love to be together, including Yankee Stadium, the London Olympics and the Super Bowl. They are experts at drawing lots of people together around things that they love.

MRCB is a leading property and infrastructure developer in Malaysia, specialising in civil, environmental and energy infrastructure development.

Originally opened in 1998 for the Commonwealth Games, the upgrade and transformation provides an exciting venue for sporting excellences while additionally promoting health and wellness to the citizens of Malaysia. The regeneration and redevelopment project includes providing high-performance sports training facilities, a sports rehabilitation science centre, Youth Park, public sports facilities, sports museum, youth hostel, convention centre and a sports-focused retail mall.

Located in the KLSC compound is a National Stadium, the Axiata Arena, National Aquatic Centre, National Squash Centre and National Hockey Stadium.

Sports City

Credit photos to Aaron Pocock Photography

Buklt Jalil National Stadium

The largest stadium in South East Asia, Bukit Jalil can seat 87,000 people. The re-designed stadium features:

  • A unique façade made from a series of vertical louvers that have been twisted in response to climatic conditions: offering sun shading and encouraging natural ventilation to the concourse without completely obscuring the original iconic skeleton of the stadium.
  • LED lights have been integrated into the louvers, allowing digitally based animations, advertisements and branding to flow over the three dimensional façade.
  • The comprehensive upgrade of facilities, infrastructure and systems.
  • Upgraded and reconsidered hospitality and corporate areas.
  • Greatly improved and modernised fan experience and community destinations.

Axlata Arena

Recently renamed Axiata Arena the well-known Putra Indoor Stadium has 11,000 permanent and 2,232 retractable seats, making it a flexible space for indoor sports and events. The upgrade includes:

  • New contemporary façade to cover the existing building and offer a new lobby and entrance space.
  • Complete replacement of all seats including a new retractable seating platform.
  • New suites and corporate facilities which increase the number of corporate and VIP seating to 500, allowing the venue to attract bigger names and artists and generate greater revenue.
  • Upgrades to all the toilets and changing room facilities.
  • Installation of advanced fire protection systems that comply with global safety standards.
  • New air conditioning system.
  • New sports lighting PA systems.

National Aquatic Centre and National Hockey Stadium

Comprising Olympic standard swimming pool, warm-up areas and diving pool, the recent re-design and upgrades to the National Aquatic Centre include:

  • New distinct façade.
  • Replacement of the existing fabric roof.
  • New FINA compliant diving board.
  • Upgrades to the VIP lobby space.
  • New sports lighting and PA Systems.
  • Installation of advanced fire protection.

The National Hockey Stadium seats up to 12,000 people and recent upgrades include:

  • New world-class turf pitch.
  • New sports lighting.
  • Upgraded to all the toilets.
  • Installation of advance fire protection systems that comply with global safety standards.

Stage one of the redevelopment was finished for the 2017 Southeast Asian Games with Stage Two of the redevelopment starting in 2018. Stage two will include the liveable sports city services residential and Retail and commercial facilities such as a convention centre, youth hostel, park, library and sports museum creating a modern and liveable city at Bukit Jalil.

Sports City

Credit photos to Aaron Pocock Photography

Datuk Nalgunalingam, General Manager of MRCB

Datuk Nalgunalingam who is fondly known as Datuk Guna to his colleagues and close friends is a trained professional engineer.

After completing his formal education, he pursued his higher education at Newcastle upon Tyne, in the United Kingdom where he graduated with an honours degree in Mechanical Engineering and later returned to Malaysia.

In the year 2000, Datuk Guna began his career as a Project Engineer with Sime Darby. He was entrusted with the task to manage several prestigious and mega projects for the group, namely the Boeing Aircraft Facility at Bukit Kayu Hitam, the 2,400 Megawatt Bakun Hydro Electric Dam Sarawak, BASF Methanol Plant and several others projects.

In the year 2008, at the age of 32, he was appointed the youngest General Manager and Vice President of a Sime Darby’s subsidiary, where he took the lead task of steering the engineering services business unit. In the same year he was awarded a scholarship and completed his MBA at Victoria University in Melbourne in the year 2010. Datuk Guna now understudies a Law Degree with the University of London.

Later in 2013, having gone through mission-critical challenges with sheer determination and proven delivery records, he was handpicked as General Manager by the M/s. Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad Group. He was entrusted and given the responsibility to spearhead the development of high profile and national interest projects for MRCB Group reporting directly to the Executive Director.

MRCB was also focused on facilitating public transport related infrastructure to provide a world-class mass public transport system. Datuk Guna successfully completed and delivered these mega projects on time.

Amongst the projects is the MRT Link-Way Pedestrian Bridge which connects K.L. Sentral Station to Museum Negara underground station; the relocation of 100,000 litres diesel tanks from KTMB Depot at K.L. Sentral; and the completion of the first Homeless Centre at Jalan Pahang in year 2014.

Datuk was also involved with the completion of the prestigious rejuvenation project for Kuala Lumpur Sports City for the 2017 SEA Games, which was officiated by Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Hj. Abdul Razak.

For K.L. Sports City, Datuk was working and reporting directly to the Minister of Youth and Sports, YB Khairy Jamalludin Bin Abu Bakar.

Datuk was the Project Director overseeing the scheme, which was completed ahead of time and was nominated for the ‘World Architectural Award 2017’ in Berlin, Germany in November 2017.

Following his commitment, dedication and contribution towards nation building, MRCB was recently awarded the ‘Gold Award 2017’ at the 13th MOSPHA OSH EXECELLENCE AWARD 2017 & ‘CIDB 5-Star Project Award’ by CIDB Malaysia.

When asked about his secret to success. Datuk, said: “To succeed in life, believe in your dream and live your dream.”

 

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Roma Publications