Tuavui Veteran champions in Merdeka Challenge
KOTA KINABALU: Tuavui Veteran emerged champions in the Merdeka Challenge Invitational Football Tournament that was held at the Penampang Stadium over the weekend.
Despite being just a mini tournament to commemorate the Merdeka Day celebrations, members of Tuavui Veteran will not likely soon forget the victory they hailed and the style in which they achieved it.
They beat all their rivals to emerge unbeaten throughout the seventeam tournament, mostly thanks to Vincent Yapp who scored every goal in all the team's matches.
The other teams that took part were Darkhorse, Bema, Keningau, Telipok, PPP and Kobusak.
For their efforts, Tuavui Veteran bagged the RM700 winner's purse plus a trophy and medals.
Team manager Jumin Gondikit praised all the players for their commitment and spirit shown throughout the two-day competition (Sept 1-2).
Jumin said their participation in the tournament was to prepare for a bigger competition which is the Sabah Unity League (Liga Perpaduan Sabah).
He is confident the team will put up a strong challenge if all the players can maintain the same commitment and spirit in the next competition.
Towards this end, Penampang Unity Football Club thanked all the teams for taking part in the competition and hoped they would join again in future events.
Penampang District Officer Robert Stidi presented the prizes to the winners at the closing and ceremony.