Final batch receives HKL-SSF awards
SIBU: After seven years and RM80,100, the Hii King Leng Sports Scholarship Foundation (HKL-SSF) bids adieu.
Yesterday, the final batch of 21 recipients received the Hii King Leng -Top Sports Star (HKLTSS) awards from Foundation chairman Dr Gregory Hii Sui Cheng.
All of them are state athletes from taekwondo (eight), athletics (7), swimming (3) and volleyball (3). Each received RM600 plus a certificate for two consecutive years.
Meanwhile, the Hii King LengSports Volunteer Extraordinaire (HKL-SVE) award was also given out to its final recipient Hii Hong Wee, a reporter with a local Chinese newspaper, yesterday.
He collected RM1,500 and a certificate.
“It is therefore with much regret that I have decided to discontinue with this award next year,’ Hii said at the award presentation held at Stadium Tun Zaidi yesterday morning.
With the demise of HKLTSS and HKL-SVE, he is now actively looking at other ways to contribute to sports development, especially in the central region of Sarawak.
Funds originally allocated for HKL-TSS and HKL-SVE amounting to RM12,000 will now be channelled to invest in the Sibu Open Track and Field Championship.
Dr Hii, who is also Sibu Division Amateur Athletic Association (SDAAA) chairman, pledged to make Sibu Open Track and Field Championship a major event in the Sarawak calendar.
“We hope to make the event bigger, grandeur and more spectacular so that it will be able to attract athletes from countries like China, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong and so forth to make it a truly Asian affair.”
Hii admitted it would be a mammoth task but with dreams, possibilities sometimes do come true.
“In Kuching, we have the Rainforest Musical Festival while in Sibu, we have the Sibu BASE Jump as the calendar of events. We hope to turn Sibu Open into another calender of event for Sibu as part of our effort to uplift the standard of the athletes here.
However, for that to materialise, Dr Hii called for more collaboration between both the private and public sectors and good teamwork from the management and staff of Stadium Tun Zaidi with SDAAA.