Sarawak will not victimise athletes over Sukma choice

Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

By Shikin Louis

KUCHING, Jan 26: Sarawak athletes will not be punished or blocked from competing at the upcoming Malaysia Games (Sukma), even if they have represented or trained with other states.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah noted that ahead of the Games in August this year, questions have arisen about athletes who were trained in Sarawak but are representing other states, as well as Sarawakians who have been committed to sports associations outside the State.

“Ultimately, we leave it to the associations to work things out. If it cannot be resolved, there’s nothing much we can do.

“But we will not victimise or stop any athletes just because they do not want to be with us. We will not kill off their career. We have to be fair to them also,” he told reporters during a press conference held at Baitul Makmur 2 today.

He explained that the welfare and development of athletes are always prioritised when it comes to Sukma participation.

“We usually look in detail at who identified and developed the athletes. If it’s another state, we respect that. If it’s us, then we include them, even if they are not residents of Sarawak or officially considered Sarawakians.

“Likewise, sometimes Sarawakians are training with other states. We try to bring them back, but if they have already been committed to those associations for a year or two, receiving training and allowances, we respect those wishes as well,” he added.

Abdul Karim further cited examples in swimming and golf, where Sarawakians won gold medals representing other states, underscoring that Sarawak’s approach ensures fairness and does not penalise athletes for their choices.

At the same time, Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) chairman Dato Patrick Liew stated that the Sukma tennis long list is expected to be finalised by May.

He explained that the initial long list has already been established based on Schools Sports Council of Malaysia (MSSM) guidelines, but a few younger players had withdrawn because the intensive training schedule conflicted with their studies.

“By May, we have to submit the final listing. We will do the final selection again, and that is also when we are waiting for budget approval so we can send some athletes for overseas intensive training for competitions,” he explained. – DayakDaily