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Mordi (front, third left) and Lim, on his left, join other guests, members of the organising committee in a group photo with the futsal players and the officials.
KUCHING (April 11): The Third Sarawak Inter-Secondary School Under-17 Futsal Championship should serve as a vital platform for unearthing promising young talents and preparing them for higher-level competitions, including the 22nd Malaysia Games (Sukma XXII) in Selangor this August.
In this regard, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Mordi Bimol views the state-level tournament as an important avenue to identify and nurture high-potential players capable of competing at more competitive stages.
Thirty teams, involving about 300 students, gathered for the meet on Saturday, organised by United Sports Recreation Club.
Mordi stressed that efforts to develop sports talents at the grassroots level must continue to be strengthened, with emphasis on providing more quality competitive platforms in line with the need to build a resilient and competitive pipeline of athletes.
“The ministry remains committed to strengthening the sports ecosystem through integrated collaboration with the Ministry of Education and sports associations,” he said, adding that this included enhancing the implementation of the Physical Activity, Sports and Co-Curriculum Assessment (PAJSK), regarded as a foundation for the holistic development of young athletes.
“To ensure the continuity of such development initiatives, the ministry has channelled RM8,000 via the Community Sports Fund (DSK) to support the organisation of school and community-level tournaments,” he pointed out.
Mordi, who is Mas Gading MP, noted that Sarawak’s achievement as runners-up in the futsal event of Sukma XXI in Sarawak in 2024, reflected the state’s strong potential as an emerging force in this sport at national level.
“Continuous efforts are now focused on expanding the talent pool and strengthening squad depth,” he said.
Mordi added that the championship also supported the broader aspiration of positioning Sarawak as a regional sports development hub ahead of the Malaysia-hosted SEA Games next year.
At the same time, he also emphasised such initiatives as a crucial role in shaping young homegrown athletes who would not only excel in performance, but would also uphold discipline, integrity and strong sportsmanship.
Meanwhile, event’s organising chairman Slyvester Lim described the Thirrd Sarawak Inter-Secondary School Under-17 Futsal Championship as a key platform for youth development, highlighting strong participation from schools across the state, including teams from Singai, Miri and Sri Aman.
“This championship is not merely a sporting competition, but also a platform to foster friendship, discipline, teamwork and sportsmanship among students,” he said, adding that organisers had been working hard since its inception to make it a quality and prestigious school-level futsal tournament.
Lim also expressed appreciation to stakeholders, including the state Education Department, Sarawak Youth and Sports Department and Mordi, for their continued support.
However, he also acknowledged that that futsal development had been hampered by the lack of facilities meeting international standards set by the world governing body, FIFA.
“The absence of courts built according to international specifications has impacted (futsal) development, from grassroots to competitive levels,” he said.
In this regard, Lim proposed for upgrades to existing courts and also the formation of a dedicated futsal association.
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