Sports bodies told to initiate fund-sourcing
KOTA KINABALU: The Youth and Sports Ministry welcomes initiatives from sports associations to source for fundings independently.
Assistant Minister Datuk Masiung Banah said limited funds from the ministry should encourage associations to take initiatives to source for funds for their activities and programmes.
He said this when representing his minister Datuk Tawfiq Abu Bakar Titingan at a flag handing over ceremony with Penampang Tug-of-War Association (Pentowa) at the ministry’s office here, yesterday.
Pentowa Sabah will be taking part in the Asian Indoor Tug-ofWar Championships in Singapore this weekend.
Masiung said the ministry would always support and do its best to disperse funds to sports associations. However, he said that funding is limited and therefore associations must take the initiative to source for them and not rely entirely on government assistance.
He praised the efforts made by Pentowa as they were able to gain support and contribution from the corporate sector to help lift the burden of sending their team to the championships in Singapore.
Masiung hoped Pentowa Sabah would return from the international competition with success and thereafter help create positive impacts on the development of the sport in Sabah.
He said that their participation in the championship showed that tug-of-war was no longer just a fun carnival game but in fact is a serious sport that gathers national representatives at big championships.
“I hope the tug-of-war association would continue to strive in making Sabah a powerhouse in line with the ministry’s new programme of “Mencipta Handalan”.
”Mencipta Handalan is different from the Mencipta Juara programme before this. Where the initial programme was more focused on creating one-time champions, this new one is aimed at creating long term winners,” Masiung said.
Meanwhile, Pentowa president Rainold J Mokujin said they would do their best to try and win the championship.
“It is not easy because there are top teams from all over the region including world champions Chinese Taipei. Also in the fray are Korea, China, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and host team Singapore.
“But we have trained hard and we prepared well for this competition so we will do our best to win,” he said while thanking the ministry for its support.
Aside from Pentowa Sabah, the Royal Malaysian Police are also representing the country in this two-day competition.
The members of Pentowa Sabah are from Penampang, Kudat and Kota Marudu.
It is Sabah’s second participation in an Asian region championship. The other one was held in Thailand last year where Sabah finished in fifth place.
Pentowa Sabah comprise Terrrence Harman Manjaji (ministry official), Rainold J Mokujin (team manager), John Gilbert Johnny (team official), Aggo Ampilah @ Esmond, Mohd Asmawi Majingkin Abdullah, Bonny Mohd Khairul, Mohd Sah Affandi Bitli, Jefery Rahman, Sazle Tony, Alexcius Petrus, Anderson Martin, Geinod Lozitin, Alford A Tokuyuk and Jesper jiwil.
Also present at the ceremony was assistant principal secretary Mat Jaidin Mohd Yassin.