Four Sabah player for national cricket team
KOTA KINABALU: Four Sabah players have been selected into the national under-19 women’s cricket team.
They are SMK Keningau II students Neserle Yean Alik and Erminun Tulrahim as well as Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS)based duo Siti Nur Shaqilah Mohaily and Suabika A/P Manivannan.
Sabah Cricket Association (SCA) honorary secretary Hatta Patambongi has hailed the selection of the four, which showed the potential that the state possess to excel in the sport. Hatta in fact said that there were five who were identified and called up to attend the selection process in late January but Nur Syairah Ariff, another of Sabah’s BJSS-based player, missed out on a place in the team. Nevertheless, he said it was already a good indication of the progress made by Sabah cricket with more players receiving national callups.
“It is an honour that four of our women players have been selected into the national (u-19) team ... it is an honour for the state and all associated with the sport. The selected players will now undergo centralised training in Bukit Jalil from Feb 4-8 in preparation for the match against Hong Kong U-19 Women’s National Team.
“The cricket series (against Hong Kong) will take place between Feb 9-14 in Penang,” he said when contacted yesterday.
For the record, the four Sabah players are among the 24 shortlisted for the centralised training in preparation for the Hong Kong matches. Sabah’s Jasmin Ezayyu Rahman Shah has also been appointed as the team manager of the national under-19 squad.
Meanwhile, Hatta said Neserle, Erminun, Shaqilah, Suabika and Syairah are set to form the backbone of the state women’s team in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) 2024.
Hatta confirmed that Sabah will be sending both the men’s and women’s teams to the country’s premier multi-sport event in Kuching, Sarawak in August.
It is an honour that four of our women players have been selected into the national (u-19) team ... it is an honour for the state and all associated with the sport.
Hatta Patambongi