260 students participate in shooting talent scout programme
KUCHING: The ‘ Discover New Talent Shooting’ programme at the Sarawak Shooting Range in Petra Jaya recently received a tremendous response, with a turnout of 260 students from the Kuching area.
Organised by the Sarawak Spor t s Corporation ( SSC) with the cooperation of the Sarawak Shooting Association, the programme is aimed at talent searching for the state’s intermediate squad with the target of producing elite shooters in 2020.
SSC chief executive Dr Ong Kong Swee who addressed the participants, thanked the parents and the students for responding to the programme.
He said the programme is the first of many more to come and promised that it would be a continual process and not a oneoff affair.
“This is the first phase of the development programme in shooting.
“We are also thinking of getting more schools to participate especially with the schools in the area around Petra Jaya as we strive to discover more talents from the grass roots level,” said Ong, who added that SSC aimed to set up more centres of excellence in the sport.
Sarawak State Sports Council ( MSNS) sports coordinator for shooting Christina Janggui said 35 schools took part in the programme, adding that it had exceeded their target as they were only expecting 22 schools to show up.
Among those present were the sizable number of parents with one saying he was surprised wi th the huge numbe r o f participants.
“My daughter used to take part in paint- ball but this sport is better as they can represent Sarawak one day and we support these kind of healthy programme,” said the parent from Matang.
Sarawak Shooting Association official Niel Parker was happy that the talent hunt was organised in a proper manner and with huge response.
“We do not have the proper facilities previously but managed to produce a few fine athletes such as Bibiana Ng who is now an international.
“It can be achieved and potential athletes must have qualities such as having good eyesight, low heartbeat and strong commitment although physical attributes might not be top priority.
“We were using borrowed facilities so we couldn’t do much but now with such excel lent facilities, you can see we can cater to hundreds of participants in the talent hunt,” said Parker.
He added that by 2020, Sarawak would achieve its target of producing several international shooters or champions.