NILAI: The first National Sports Day slated for Oct 10 will proceed as scheduled depending on the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings at all the states involved.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the API readings were differing from area to area hence areas with healthy API were encouraged to conduct their programmes as planned.

“About 12,000 programmes expected to run on the day itself, therefore, for example, even though the major events in Klang Valley may have to be cancelled due to haze; but programmes in Sabah can be continued if the API is at healthy level.

“National Sports Institute will release guidelines to all organisers and the organisers have the power to decide,” he told reporters after a friendly session with students of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), here, today.

Khairy was scheduled to join the students for a workout session. However, the session was cancelled due to the worsening haze.

As of 1pm, all three monitoring stations in Negri Sembilan recorded unhealthy API level. Seremban (184), followed by Nilai (176) and Port Dickson (184).

nst