Miri squash players take full advantage of home ground

MIRI: Miri won eight of 11 categories to emerge overal l champion of the Miri leg of the CMS S1 Circuit squash championship at the Pei Min Miri Squash Academy (PMMSA) here yesterday.

They topped the Boys Under- 9, U11, U13 and U15 and Girls U9, U11 and U17 as well as the Women Open category. The host also finished second in Men Division 1 and Girls U13 while taking third place in Men Division 2.

Sibu was Girls U13 champion while Kuching finished first in Men Division 1.

Brunei was Men Division 2 champion and finished third in Women Open.

Miri Squash Associat ion president Yeo Yaw Lee said the second leg of the three- legged CMS S1 Circuit from Aug 18 to 20 attracted 162 players despite the absence of top juniors who are away in Kuching for centralised training in preparation for Sukma.

Incidentally, the Sukma squad comprises six players from Miri and two each from Kuching and Sibu.

The three- day Miri leg saw players as young as seven and there were many who opted to play in more challenging categories against older opponents.

“Most of the participants here played not for the title, but for the exposure and experience. This is the most important thing,” Yeo observed.

The first leg of the circuit was held in Kuching two months ago while the third and final leg will take place in Sibu next month.

Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting and Cr Ernest Goh, who represented Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin, were among those who gave away the prizes.