Dayak martial arts, horseback archery teams off to Korea
KUCHING: A 37-strong delegation from Sarawak Dayak Martial Art Association (SDMAA) and Kelab Pemanah Berkuda Merpati Jepang (KPBMJ) will be taking part in the 19th World Martial Arts Festival & Masterships and 15th World Horseback Archery Championship respectively in South Korea.
The festival will take place from Aug 30 to Sept 6 in Chungju city while the horseback archery event will be from Aug 27 to Sept 1 in Sokcho city.
The delegation took part in a simple flag-off ceremony at Kuching International Airport yesterday. Mission-in-chief Rick Hanson Gumbang said they hope to perform well in both events while helping to promote Sarawak at the same time.
“Our coaches are very confident that the teams will perform well. No specific medal target have been set but we wish them all the best,” he added.
The martial arts team have been practising for the past two months at the Kuching North City Commission facility at Petra Jaya here.
Rick revealed that the association is looking into organising a similar martial arts event at the Sarawak Culture Village to a ract teams from across the globe.
SDMAA comprises Kelab Kutow Rusat Rimoung, Kuntao Iban Lama Team and Persatuan Melanau Kuching.
Twenty in the delegation are from SDMAA with the rest from KPBMJ.
“This is the first time we are sending team from KPBMJ to Sokcho City to gain experience. We are expecting to face fierce competition from participants around the world,” said KPBMJ vice president Dato Sia Sioe Joo.
Sia added that they hope to bring back valuable experience and know-how on proper horseback archery training to further promote the sport here.
The club is looking for a suitable location equipped with a training system to train young participants in mastering horseback archery.
The flag-off ceremony was officiated on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas by his political secretary Dr Richard Rapu while Tasik Biru assemblyman Dato Henry Harry Jinep handed over the flags.