Sarawak may have to review medals target
KUCHING: Sarawak will be fighting for all 30 sports to be maintained as competition events in the 19th Sukma in Perak from Sept 12 to 22.
They are archery, athletics, aquatics (swimming and diving), badminton, basketball, boxing, cricket, cycling, football, futsal, gol f , gymnast ics ( artist ic, rhythmic), handbal l, hockey ( men’s, women’s), judo, karate, lawn bowls, muaythai, netball, petanque, rugby, sailing, shooting, sepak takraw, si lat, squash, taekwondo, tenpin bowling, weightlifting and wushu.
Three non- medal s por t s – fencing, volleyball and tennis – will also be competed at Sukma this year.
Following recent reports on doping cases involving elite weightlifters and the damage of the Velodrome Rakyat which is the venue for track cycling events, Sarawak Sports Corporation ( SSC) chief executive officer Dr Ong Kong Swee is anticipating that some of the events like cycling, weightlifting and sanda (wushu) may be dropped.
“I will be attending the Sukma Supreme Council meeting on Monday (today) and because of recent incidents, some events might be dropped in Sukma XIX.
“As far as Sarawak is concerned, we will maintain our stand that all sports events should be competed in Perak,” said Ong, adding that Sarawak will be fighting for cycling, weightlifting and sanda to be maintained as the state is banking on these sports to deliver gold medals.”
According to him, it is not right for the organisers to drop any events because all states have already put in so much time, money and efforts in preparing for Sukma and it is only three months away.
“Like the problem of the velodrome, there should be a warrantee for it. Ask the contractor involved to repair it before Sukma starts,” he remarked.
On the preparations, Ong said they are going on well with all teams finalised together with back-up athletes.
“All the athletes and officials have to be registered in early July and we have already submitted our name lists,” said Ong.
He said Sarawak is maintaining its current 77- gold medal target but it may have to be reviewed after today’s Sukma Supreme Council meeting.