Fatimah: Come support our Para Sukma athletes next month  

KUCHING (Aug 26): Following Sarawak’s victory in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) XXI, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah has called upon all Sarawakians to give their equal support to the state’s athletes who will be competing in the Para Sukma XXI here, next month.

The Minister of Women Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development made this call when met during her recent visits to various training centres here, ahead of the Games from Sept 22 to 28.

“To our para athletes, sports are their beacon of hope. Let us support and cheer them on in their desires to bring pride to Sarawak,” she told The Borneo Post.

According to Fatimah, the athletes had initially undergone ‘decentralised trainings’ since January this year, where they were trained under appointed coaches at their own respective locations.

“Starting July until the tournament in Sept, intensive and centralised training sessions will be conducted at the competition venues here,” she said.

The Sarawak contingent, she added, will be contesting in 10 sports events: athletics, powerlifting, swimming, badminton, tenpin bowling, archery, table tennis, chess, lawn bowl, and Boccia.

A total of 334 events will be contested in the Para Sukma XXI, namely athletics (134), powerlifting (24), swimming (60), badminton (13), tenpin bowling (22), archery (14), table tennis (15), chess (24), lawn bowl (19) and Boccia (9).

On the Para Sukma XXI’s target, she said the Sarawak contingent is aiming for 83 gold medals to emerge as overall champion.

“By overcoming their disabilities, doubts, pain, worries and uncertainties, each one of the athletes is already a winner,” she said.