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f the city presses ahead with its plan to demolish Lebak Bulus stadium, one squash athlete says she’ll lose her favorite weekend haunt and the chance to train on the Jakarta’s best court.

The Jakarta Post spoke to the athlete, Paulina, on Saturday after she finished her regular practice session at the recently renovated three-story squash complex inside the stadium.

Paulina said she would soon also be able to swim at the complex’s pool after its renovation was complete in March.

Lebak Bulus’ squash court might not be the only one in Jakarta, but Paulina deemed it the best.

Upon hearing that the city would demolish the stadium to make way for the construction of a mass rapid transit (MRT) system terminal, Paulina said she and her coach Ujang Kusdiana were devastated.

“What a waste. This is the best squash court in the city and the government is trying to tear it down,” Ujang said.

Ujang said he was baffled by the decision, especially given that the stadium’s renovation was still underway.

“What’s the point of renovating it if it will be demolished in the end?” Ujang said.

The squash complex, opened in 2003, has four courts, a separate management office on the first floor and a locker room on the third floor.

Given the importance of the squash court, Paulina and Ujang both said they hoped the city would replace it if Lebak Bulus stadium was destroyed.

The city administration is now zeroing in on three locations on Jl. TB Simatupang and Jl. Ampera as a site for a new stadium to replace Lebak Bulus.

The decision to demolish Lebak Bulus stadium came after a change in the initial design for the MRT, which now covers one square hectare instead of the previous planned 7,000 square meters.

Work on the first phase of the 15.5-kilometer MRT project linking Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta and the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta is expected to begin this year and be completed by 2016.

The city’s plan to demolish Lebak Bulus has been challenged by Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng,

Ujang, however, said he doubted that the city would be able to build a new stadium.

“I kind of doubt it because from previous experience the demolition will just go ahead without any thought about replacement. It should be the other way around, right?” Ujang, who currently trains 19 athletes slated to join the competition in this year’s national games, said.

Jakarta’s soccer team’s supporters club is headquartered in the stadium and is also threatened by the demolition.

“Just look at the Persija stadium which was torn down to make Menteng Park. The city has not fixed a date to build a new one and now Persija has no training ground,” supporters’ club chief Larico Ranggamuni said.

Larico was also skeptical that a new stadium would be built in the area.

“Where will they build a new stadium in South Jakarta? I don’t think there is much space left,” he said.

The city government should build a new stadium before it tears down Lebak Bulus stadium, Larico said.

“The stadium has been the center of activities for people around here. If it’s demolished where can we go for sports?” he said.