Sarikei eye junior titles at Sibu Open Track & Field Championship

SIBU: Sarikei Selected are gunning for the titles in the U14 and U-11 categories when the two- day Sibu Open Track & Field Championship kicks off tomorrow at Tun Ahmad Zaidi Stadium here.

Team manager Liong Shuen Leong said they are sending 95 athletes to the championship.

“Our t e am c ompr is e s a combination of the senior and junior athletes, with the U- 14 and U-11 categories making the majority.

“Our forte may be the field events but this time, our athletes are more evenly spread as we are also aiming for podium finish in the track events,” he said.

Liong was confident that his charges can provide a formidable chal lenge for the two junior titles.

“There is also a possibility that we may snatch the overall title if our seniors can perform to expectations,” he added.

Last year, the team collected 10 gold medals to emerge third overall, first runners-up in Men’s Open and second runners-up in Women’s Open.

Of the 10 gold medals, eight of them came from their staple of throwers.

Familiar names like national hammer thrower Grace Wong and Jackson Wong, the Sukma 2016 gold medallist, will no longer grace the Sarikei Selected team but taking over the mantle are the fast rising field stars. They include javelin thrower Wong Nie Nie, discuss thrower Ngu Ing Biao, William Wong and also hammer thrower Wong Siew Hung.

Siew Hung is the 2016 Sukma silver medallist and is strongly tipped to bag the Men’s Open hammer gold medal.

Liong was happy to note that five secondary and four primary schools have joined the Sarikei Selected team.

The five secondary schools are SMK Bandar Bintangor, SMK Tong Hua, SMK Tinggi Sarikei, SMK Julau and SMK Meradong while the four primary schools are SJk Kwang Chien, SJK Su Ming, SJK Nan Kiew and SK Nanga Dayu, Julau.