Sarikei dominate at 13th Sibu Open Athletics Meet
SIBU: Records fell like ten-pins but it was Sarikei Selected athletes who ruled supreme in the 13th edition of the Sibu Open Athletics Meet at Tun Zaidi Stadium here last Sunday.
The team collected 13 gold, nine silver and seven bronze medals to lift the overall title. Bukit Jalil Sports School with 13 gold and three silver medals was second, followed by Kuching Cats in third placing with 8-7-3.
SMK Chung Hua Miri bagged 64-10, followed by Tunku Makhota Ismail Sports School with 59- 6, Kuching Axis Petra Track & Field Club 3- 1- 2 and Negri Sembilan Sports Council three gold medals.
Sarikei Selected also won the title in the Boys’ U-11 category with three gold medals, first runners-up in Girls’ U-14 (2-3- 0) and Women’s Open (2-3- 0) and second runnersup in Boys’ U-14 categories (2-1-1).
Team manager Leong Shuen Keong said they had acomplished their target of lifting the title for the Boys’ U-11 category and the overall title.
“It’s not easy, especially when my charges had to compete with the nation’s best runners in the U-14 category from Bukit Jalil Sports School and Tunku Makhota Ismail Sports School and we are happy with our results,” he said when interviewed.
Of the 13 gold medals, 11 of them were from the field events, including three meet records and
It’s not easy, especially when my charges had to compete with the nation’s best runners in the U-14 category from Bukit Jalil Sports School and Tunku Makhota Ismail Sports School and we are happy with our results. Leong Shuen Keong, team manager
that again cemented Sarikei as the powerhouse for the throwing events.
They included Alyssa Jeswsye James (Girls’ U-11 shot putt), Jonah Chang Rugan (Boys’ U-14 shot putt), Vanessa Niega Franky (Girls’ U14 discuss), Mohamad Ali Hamid (Men’s Open javeline) Chieu Hock Kiong (Boys’ U-11 shot putt), Ninting Kanuan ( Boys’U-11 long jump), Michelle Wong ( Women’s Open Hammer Throw), Amelia Kian (Girls’ U-14 3000m walk), Wong Yu Kiong ( Boys’U-14 discuss), Wong Nie Nie ( Women’s Open javelin) Su Lik Zheng (Women’s Open high jump), Ngu Ing Biao (Men’s Open discuss). Sarikei also sent the biggest contingent of 95 athletes.
The Sarikei team comprised athletes from six secondary schools - SMK Sungei Paoh, SMK Bandar Bintangor, SMK Tong Hua, SMK Tinggi Sarikei, SMK Julau and SMK Meradong - and four primary schools which are SJk Kwang Chien, SJK Su Ming, SJK Nan Kiew and SK Nanga Dayu, Julau.
Meanwhile, 20 meet records were rewritten at the two- day championship which attracted 65 teams comprising more than 936 athletes from throughout th e state and several from Peninsular Malaysia.
Sibu Amateur Athlet ic s Association (Saaa) secretary Ting Siew Nguong, however, said the big number of records was within their expectations.
“The existing records for the track events, notably 100m, 200m and 800m looked vulnerable especially for the runners from the Bukit Jalil and Tunku Makhota Ismail Sports Schools. They are the nation top sprinters and naturally, they are here for a reason.”
Each record breakers pocketed RM50.
Among the record breakers are Bukit Jalil’s Luqmanul Hakim Khairul Akmal in Men’s Open 100m (10.54”), Kuching’s CATS Mandy Goh Li in Women’ s 100m (12.54”), Bukit Jalil’s Muhammad Hadzmier Abdul Muhaimin in Boys’ U-14 800m ( 2’ 11.09”) and Negri Sembilan Sports Council’s David Roy Vincent in Men’s Open 800m (1’58.68”).
Three throwers from Sarikei Selection also inked their names in the record books. They are Jonah Chang in Boys’ U-14 shot putt (16.08m), Wong Yu Kiong in Boys’ U-14 discuss ( 51.82m) and Wong Nie Nie in Women’s Open javelin (41.39m).