Sarawak paddlers to undergo 2-month training stint in China

KUCHING (March 18): An intensive two-month training stint in China await state paddlers bound for this year’s Malaysia Games (Sukma) to be held in Selangor.

It is part of the structured programme  to help Sarawak improve its medal haul of a solitary bronze medal from Annie Siaw Mei in the women’s singles at the 2024 Sukma.

Meanwhile, the training squad is maintaining its training intensity even through the month of Ramadan.

“This Ramadan we are training just like normal. Currently we only have one Malay player, she is training as usual while fasting,” head coach Thomas Tay told The Borneo Post on Tuesday.

The players are currently part of an extended training squad with the final selection yet to be made.

“For now, all players are still in the long list for Sukma. At the moment, we have six boys and eight girls in the long list,” Tay explained.

The squad is undergoing centralised training at the Sarawak Sports Village (SSV) which will extend until April.

Selection trials will be conducted to determine the final team before the two-month stint in China from May to June.

Thereafter, the paddlers will return to SSV for centralised training leading to the Sukma competition.

The 22nd edition of Sukma will be held in Selangor from Aug 15 to 24.

Table tennis is among the core sports contested at the biennial Games which serve as a key platform for identifying potential national players.