Samas athletes in a class of their own
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Masters Athletics Association (Samas) athletes showed their class with impressive performance at the just concluded Malaysia International Open Masters Athletics Championships (MIOMAC).
Happening at the UM Arena in Kuala Lumpur, the state masters athletes bagged 44 gold, 27 silver and 15 bronze medals.
Asian record holder Juliana Gumpil and SAMAS newcomer Erine Sinuel led the gold rush for the state squad by bagging four individual gold each before adding a fifth from the relay event.
Despite nursing an injury, Asian Women 100m record holder Juliana was still too strong competing in her new age category of 55-59 years.
She broke all the championships records en route to winning four gold medals in the 100m sprint, Long Jump, Triple Jump and High Jump.
Erine (W50-59) claimed a uniqe sprint treble after winning in the 100m, 200m and 400m races before adding a fourth gold from the Shot Putt event.
Juliana and Erine then anchored the state women relay squad that also featured Bernice Lau Kam Mun and Mordiana Abdullah to top placing in the 4x100m race.
SAMAS president, Aliudin Jumaat, congratulated the team manager David William and all the athletes for showing such a commendable performance despite the absence of few gold medal contenders.
He said the team’s performance, solidarity and sportmanship made them the centre of attraction during the championships.
“In one ocassion most of the team members did the Sumazau dance when the song of‘Sumandak Sabah’ was on air at the stadium and spontaneously joined by some other teams.
“I’m confident that Sabah will maintain their supermacy in the championships with the emergence of new comers like Erine Sinuel, Sidin Wasim, Kathrine Majudil, Margaret Petrus and a few others,” he said in a statement to the press yesterday.
The other winners with three gold each were Ramlan Goddos (M60-64), Sidin Wasim (M7579), Cecilia Maksimon (W45-49), Adenah Lojuhun (W55-59) and Christina Labanjing (W65-69).
The athletes with two individual gold were Shamry Mohd Ali (M50-54), Aliudin Jumaat (M6064), Charles Linggam (M6064), Bernice (W40-44), Jouti @ Vironica Elau (W60-64) and and Susanna Hiew (W65-69).
Chung Yun Kiong (M5559), Saniban Ampilah (M6064), Vitalis Herman (M65-69), Kathrine Majudil (W35-39), Margaret Petrus (W45-49), Mordiana (W55-59), Lucy Yong (W60-64) and Samsiah Mohd Yassin (W60-64) delivered one gold each.
About 600 athletes representing international and local teams took part in the two-day championships.
Towards this end, Aliudin expressed his appreciation to Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Frankie Poon and the ministry officials, Sabah Sports Council, Sabah Sports Board and sponsors for their continuous support for SAMAS activities.