Sarawak draws closer to boccia medal target

KUCHING: Sarawak bagged two gold, three silver and two bronze medals in the boccia event at the Para Malaysia Games (Sukma) XXI.

The medal ceremony was held at the Sarawak Basketball Association court here, today (Sept 26).

Angeline Melissa Lawas and Dale Adelric Teri made Sarawak proud by claiming gold medals in the women singles BC1 and men singles BC2, respectively.

Meanwhile, Nur Aisyah Madzelan (BC1) and Shierviana Matthew (BC3) secured silver medals in the women singles category, while Muhd Nur Sharizan Ikhwan Abdullah Saparudin (BC1) earned silver in the men singles category.

Jervis Chi (BC3) and Willyien Cliff Honseng (BC1) both secured bronze in the men singles category.

Vincent Teri

Sarawak boccia coach Vincent Teri said that they targeted three gold medals for Para Sukma XXI.

“We targeted three gold for this Para Sukma and so far we only have two, and if all goes well, tomorrow we can achieve that target in the team event,” he told the media.

Vincent added that they hope to join the national boccia team at the Paralympics in 2028.

“We will be joining events like the World Boccia Cup and the Boccia World Championship to get more ranking points so we can be eligible to participate in the Paralympics in Los Angeles.

“No matter how good we are, if we do not participate in all these upcoming events to collect ranking points, we will not get the chance to participate in the Paralympics.”

In the Sarawak team, there are two veterans, namely Tay Boon Seng and Dale Alderic Teri, who will still be competing in future events.

“There are no age limits in boccia events, and chances are that they still can be active.

“However, Para Sukma has an age limit and for those who wish to continue competing in Boccia, they can participate in events without age restrictions, such as the national circuit, the Boccia World Cup, or the World Challenger.

“For upcoming events, we will continue to train the athletes in phases, as I believe this approach is more effective.

“Continuous training can lead to mental fatigue and boredom,” Vincent explained.

Toh Puan Fauziah Mohd Sanusi, wife of the Head of State, was present at the medal ceremony to award the medals to the athletes.