Para Sukma: Swimming champions Sarawak now eye ‘bigger pool’

KUCHING (Oct 14): Sarawak, the newly crowned King of the Pool at the 2024 Malaysia Para Games (Para Sukma) here, have drawn up a strategic blueprint to produce swimmers for the national team who can make waves on the world stage.

This development was shared by Sarawak’s para swimming head coach, Sarini @ Syarbini Kedri, who revealed that five other coaches have been assigned to different divisions such as Miri, Sibu and Kuching to unearth and nurture young talents.

“Alhamdulillah for being the overall swimming champions by winning 17 golds to surpass the 15-gold target. This success is firstly due to us being the host (with the strong support of spectators).

“Secondly, we have introduced new talent alongside the elite ones already in the national squad. Our ambition is to see more Sarawak para swimmers representing the country,” he told Bernama recently.

Sarini is confident that with time and continued development, Sarawak can make a greater impact in para swimming at both the national and international levels.

Sarawak’s team of 27 swimmers, including two women, won 17 gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze medals to top the competition at the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre.

This is a vast improvement as Sarawak won only six gold medals in swimming at the previous Para SUKMA.

Sarawak’s most outstanding swimmer at the recent Para Sukma was 38-year-old Fraidden Dawan who grabbed six golds, in the 100m breaststroke SB9 (physical impairment), 100m backstroke S10, 4×100 freestyle 34 points, 50m freestyle S10, 100m freestyle S10 and 4x100m medley 34 points.

Sabah finished second in the swimming medal tally with 16 gold, eight silver and three bronze medals while Selangor (12-10-8) came in third. – Bernama