Sabah boys create history in MSSM tennis finals
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Boys’ Under-18 team created history in the MSSM Tennis Championships that concluded in Kuala Lumpur, recently.
The championship, organised by the Malaysian Schools Sports Council, saw exciting prospects as Sabah featured in the final at the National Sports Complex three days ago.
It was Sabah’s first ever appearance in the final. Unfortunately, they lost 2-0 to a formidable side from Sarawak.
En route to the final, Sabah beat Penang 2-1, while Sarawak defeated Selangor also by the same scoreline.
Earlier Sabah beat Kedah 20 in the quarterfinals, while Sarawak defeated Kuala Lumpur also 2-0.
Meanwhile, Sabah Tennis Association president Johnson Koh congratulated the Boys’ U-18 team for their impressive achievement.
“They lost to a stronger opponent but they did really well to reach the final so congratulations to them for a job well done,” he said when contacted here yesterday.
Towards this end, Koh thanked parents for supporting their children’s development in the sport.
“They even paid the flight and accommodation expenses so that their children can compete,” Koh said, while hoping there would be more funds next year so that parents would not have to bear such a burden.
The championship featured various age groups including Under-15 and Under-12. There was also a girls’ category, which saw Sabah reach the quarterfinals in the U-15 and U12 competitions.
Sabah’s U-15 boys team also suffered the same fate, while their Boys’ U-12 and Girls’ U-18 teams failed to overcome their challenges in the group stage.
For the record, Sabah showed notable improvement in recent years. Two local players have gone on to pursue professional careers in the United States, namely Christian Didier Chin and Nursharneem Shamsuddin.