100 more days for para athletes to prepare for the 21st Para SUKMA

FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2024

KUCHING: Sarawak's SUKMA athletes have 100 more days to prepare for the 21st SUKMA Para Games scheduled for September 22 to 28 here.

The Minister of Women, Children and Community Wellbeing Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said that a total of 334 events for 10 types of sports will be contested at this time.

Among the sports that are contested are athletics, swimming, badminton, table tennis, bowling, boccia, lawn bowl, powerlifting, archery and chess.

A total of 15 states, he said, including the Federal Territories throughout Malaysia, will participate in the Games this time, consisting of 1,528 athletes, 49 support athletes, 788 officials and 75 contingent secretaries.

"The mission of the Para SUKMA Sarawak athletes' contingent is to become champions by redeeming their defeat to the Sabah contingent at the 2022 Kuala Lumpur games.

"So to emerge as champions, we need to do better than Sabah in all events contested," he said.

He said this while speaking at the 100-Day Countdown Ceremony to Para SUKMA XXI Sarawak 2024 at the Raia Hotel and Convention Center here, today.

In terms of preparations, Fatimah said the Sarawak Para SUKMA organizing team had held a Talent Identification Tour (TID) by the Sarawak Social Welfare Department (JKM) in Kuching, Sibu, Miri and Sri Aman.

Through TID, he said, a total of 85 new para athletes have been identified and will also compete at the Para SUKMA XXI Sarawak 2024.

He also said that athlete strengthening training was held at their respective places before training centrally from July to September this year in Kuching.

Meanwhile, the ceremony was launched by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian where the Para SUKMA Sarawak contingent aimed to collect 83 gold medals to emerge as champions for the 14th time.

Dr Sim said, he is confident that Sarawak is capable of winning the Para SUKMA Games this time looking at the high spirit shown by Sarawak's athletes.

"The high spirit of these SUKMA athletes is an inspiration to us because they turn challenges into opportunities for them to highlight their talents in the field of sports," he said.

At the ceremony, there was also a presentation of the appointment of Chef de Mission, Deputy Chef De Mission and Assistant Chef De Mission of the Sarawak Contingent.

Datuk Mohammad Razi Sitam was responsible as Chef De Mission assisted by his deputy Lamat Nyalau along with 10 Assistant Chef De Mission and 13 Assistants to the Assistant Chef De Mission. -Utusan Borneo