The cost of the proposed high performance sports training centre in Brickendonbury, England, will be decided next month, Youth and Sports Minister Azalina Othman Said told Parliament today.

The cabinet committee on sports development chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has approved the proposal in principle.

"Its cost however has yet to be ascertained and approved because it will be determined in the further study report to be tabled in the next committee meeting at the end of September," she said during the question-and-answer session this morning.

"If it (the sports centre) is approved, the ministry is quite sure that the costs will not exceed RM490 million," she added in her reply to Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur).

She explained that the project was to 'immerse' national athletes and to expose them to competitive training and international sports competitions.

The controversial project, touted as another mega project by the opposition and public, is located on the Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre (Tarcc) in Hertfordshire. Built in 1949, it is a controlled heritage building.

Barisan Nasional MPs had queried the need for the project, saying that the money involved would be better spent to develop sports locally.

In a supplementary question, Lim had asked if the building of the sports centre would result in Malaysia winning the famed Thomas Cup (for badminton) or improve the standard of Malaysian football - now ranked 148th in the world.

Overseas training

In replying to Lim's poser, Azalina denied reports that the proposed sports complex would cost RM490 million. She said that the ministry wanted to utilise the 48-acre land located outside of London and denied that the government wanted to purchase the land.

The minister said that Lim would have to patient and wait for the report by the cabinet committee.

"I ask the Member of Parliament from Ipoh Timur to be patient and wait for the cabinet's answers, before he gets a heart attack," Azalina ribbed Lim.

Lim shot back, saying that even down with flu, illness would not prevent him from asking any minister to give responsible answers during parliamentary sessions.

In another supplementary question, Azalina told Ahmad Zainudin Omar (BN-Larut) that the Youth and Sports Ministry had always sent athletes outside the country for training.

"They're sent overseas so that they can get the training, benefit from sports science and participate from competing in foreign countries," she said.

Apart from England, Azalina said that the government is also considering sending athletes to Australia, China, Cuba and the United States.