Northern Zone targets 31 gold in Suksar
BINTULU: The Nor t hern Zone Sukan Sarawak ( Suksar) contingent has set a target of 31 gold medals in the games to be held Dec 14 to 17 in Kuching.
The contingent comprises 249 athletes aged between 15 and 18 from Bintulu, Miri and Limbang.
Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Sarawak cum Suksar organising committee chairman Datuk Snowdan Lawan launched the ‘Spirit of the North’ logo for the Northern Zone contingent at the Bintulu Resident Office yesterday.
Also present were head of Nor thern Zone contingent Muhamad Yakup Kari, Sarawak Spor t s Corporation Chie f executive Officer Dr Ong Kong Swee, Samalaju Assemblyman Maj a n g R e n g g i , Mu r um assemblyman Kennedy Cukpai Ugon, representatives from Miri and Limbang, athletes, coaches and officials from Northern Zone contingent.
Snowdan said after a break of 27 years, this year’s Suksar wil l feature 14 sports events
IGMS will cover the registration of 828 athletes, list of entries in event, recording of their performance in the respective events and depository of big data on Sarawak athletes and performances. Datuk Snowdan Lawan, Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Sarawak
namely weightlifting, badminton, cycling, handball, lawn bowls, judo, karate, archery, muay thai, athletics, rugby, swimming, sepak takraw and petanque.
While the four sports for the para athletes are swimming, athletics, power li f ting and archery.
Speaking to the media after the event, Snowdan said this was his first visit to the Northern Zone contingent and he was satisfied with the preparation and the high spirit of the athletes and officials.
“I was impressed to see the logo of the northern zone which is unique and creative,” he said.
He said Suksar is a good avenue to unearth new talents who can represent the state for next year’s Sukan Malaysia ( Sukma) in Perak.
“We hope Sarawak can be a champion in the next year’s Sukma,” he said.
Earlier in his speech, he said with Suksar and the participation of young talented athletes including those from the rural areas, Sarawak is on the right track to becoming a sports powerhouse in the country.
In the meantime he said Sarawak Sports Corporation together with Sarawak Information System will develop and utilise the Integrated Games Management System ( IGMS) to be used in the coming Suksar 2017.
“IGMS w i l l c ov e r t he registration of 828 athletes, list of entries in event, recording of their performance in the respective events and depository of big data on Sarawak athletes and performances,” said Snowdan.
He added such data management is important for future use and studies of the athletes’ training and performance development and the introduction and implementation of the IGMS is in line with the state government’s vision of going into digital transformation.
Othe r a sp e c t s o f IGMS include, security measures, athletes attendance record, athletes’ movement record, facilitate logistic arrangements for accommodation, food and transportation.
The system can be upgraded and reused again in the next Suksar which is going to be held as a biannual event.
The games will be participated by four zones namely the Southern Zone ( Kuching, Samarahan, Serian), Central Zone ( Sibu, Kapit, Mukah) and Western Zone ( Sarikei, Betong and Sri Aman) and northern zone.
The opening ceremony is at Stadium Negeri Sarawak, Petra Jaya on Dec 14 in the evening while the closing is on Dec 17 at the same venue.
Majority of events’ venue is at the Sarawak Sports Complex in Petra Jaya. Events outside Kuching are petanque at Santubong, weightlifting at MBKS Stadium Jalan Pending, badminton at Unimas and muay thai at Summer Mall Kota Samarahan.