Sports can promote unity and charity, says SUPP Youth chief
KUCHING: The spirit of unity evident throughout the running of Premier 101 Community Club Charity Arm Wrestling Competition 2.0 is something that should be maintained in the local community.
Sarawak United People’s Party ( SUPP) Youth chief Tan Kai believes that the theme ‘ Unity, Fitness and Charity’ ( UFC) is ‘very important’.
“There are no boundaries in sports. This event also helps seven NGOs (non- governmental organisations) who help those in need.
“I am confident that the government will support such effort,” he said, adding that the competition attracted encouraging response from arm wrestlers – or ‘pullers’ – from Sarawak, Sabah, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and even from as far as Thailand and the Philippines.
Tan was representing Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian at the finals of competition at Premier 101 Commercial Centre here recently.
The two- day event, run by Premier 101 Community Club together with Sarawak Armsports Association (Sasa), gathered some 200 challengers competing in eight categories.
According to Sasa president Mathew Barin, the association is still new in Sarawak – having been founded last year – but the sport itself is very old.
“We want to develop the sport of arm-wrestling,” he said. On the competition, he said it was the second arm-wrestling competition since the establishment of Sasa, but it was the first of this scale in Malaysia.
The event also hosted organising chairman Stephen Kee, Sasa advisor Datuk Yii Ming Tang, Sasa technical advisor Teng Chi Lik, and Premier 101 Community Club chairman Billy Teng.
Local and international competitors pitted their strength in categories such as Men’s Open ( 85kg and above), Men’s 75- 84kg, Men’s 75kg and Below, Women’s Ppen, Sarawak Closed (Men’s 75kg and Above; and 75kg and Below) as well as the Left-Handed Category ( Men’s 75kg and Above; and 75kg and Below).
The proceeds from registration fees would go to seven charity bodies including St Teresa’s School, Salvation Army Boys Home, Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society, Sarawak Heart Foundation and Sri Maha Mariaman Temple.