Sukma: Cover human-interest stories as well, press asked

KUCHING (Aug 8): Human-interest stories on sportsmanship and camaraderie ought to be given equal attention for the 2024 Malaysia Games (Sukma) news coverage, Datuk Abdullah Saidol told media practitioners.

The Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Office called upon pressmen to not only focus on reporting the results, but also the atmosphere of the games, interviews with athletes, and on local activities in each division where the events will be held.

“Don’t focus only on the results, instead show sportsmanship, camaraderie and the lighter side of the sports event,” he said during a dialogue session on the upcoming Sukma, here today.

As Sukma events will be organised across the state, Abdullah said this will provide media practitioners the opportunity to showcase the diverse cultures of the local people.

The news angles, he said, can be on the reception or responses of the locals, their entrepreneurial initiatives at the sports venues, and ones that show the unique values of people living in the area.

Reflecting on the ongoing Paris Olympics, he also called on media practitioners to avoid negative coverage.

“Instead, highlight interviews of young athletes from different states about their experience in Sarawak,” he said.

To facilitate these media practitioners, he said nine media centres have been set up in all divisions, equipped with internet connectivity as requested by pressmen.

“Mobile connectivity units will however be deployed to areas with poor internet coverage,” he said.

Deputy State Secretary Datu Hii Chang Kee, who also spoke at the event, said 20 out of the 37 sporting events will be aired live on TV Sarawak and Radio Televisyen Malaysia.

“The live telecasts will show major events such as badminton, swimming, and track and field events,” he said, adding that other sporting events can also be watched on the Sukma social media platforms or via YouTube.

The contingents, Hii said, have been arriving here for the past few days, and they have been assigned to associated agencies which will provide them assistance and support.

“Most of the athletes are now staying at the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak campus, Universiti Teknologi Mara Mukah campus, polytechnics, and hotels,” he said.

He said the Sarawak Sports Village next to the Sarawak Stadium here could not be utilised yet for accommodation purposes due to the pending status of its occupancy permit.