State-level National Sports Day 2021 set for Oct 10
KUCHING: The state-level National Sports Day (HSN) 2021 will be held on Oct 10, the day after the national-level celebration, said Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
According to him, such arrangement is made in view of Oct 9 coinciding with the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s birthday celebration.
“It (state-level HSN 2021) will take place at the Youth and Sports Complex at Jalan Tun Datuk Patinggi Haji Ahmad Zaidi Adruce in Kuching, and Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg is expected to officiate at the ceremony that day.
“In addition, the event will also be held in a hybrid format – it will be broadcast via Youth and Sports Department (JBS) Facebook page, so that those from other divisions across the state can tune in as well,” he told a press conference at Bangunan Baitulmakmur 2 in Petra Jaya here yesterday.
Abdul Karim, who is also Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, regarded HSN 2021 as a federal government initiative aimed at encouraging Malaysians to be active in sports and also ensuring that they would remain fit and healthy, in addition to strengthening the sports industry in Malaysia.
“At national level, the target of this year’s participation is 2.5 million people.
“For Sarawak, we are targeting 211,463 participants to be involved in sports events based on programmes that will be held in Kuching and other divisions during the celebration,” he said.
However, Abdul Karim also said that contact sports would not be conducted during HSN 2021 in compliance with the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“The SOPs for the activities that are being held during HSN must always be complied with, including the wearing of face masks and social distancing.”
Abdul Karim also said the Youth and Sports Department had instructed each division in Sarawak to hold sports-related activities on Oct 10 in conjunction with HSN 2021.
“In organising and running the programmes in Kuching or in other divisions in the state, all regulations and SOPs set by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and Ministry of Health must be complied with.
“We hope that those involved in this celebration will strictly adhere to the SOPs,” he added.
Among the sporting events set for state-level HSN 2021 would be aerobics, table tennis, Crossfit, as well as a ‘Fitness for Life’ webinar.
Also present at the press conference were Ministry of Youth and Sports acting permanent secretary Nancy Jolhi and state Youth and Sports Department director Lamat Nyalau.