Petanque squad targets six medals at Sukma XV
Posted on February 22, 2012, Wednesday
GOOD LUCK: Law (centre) hands over the flag to Yazit (left) as Janudin (on Law’s left) and others look on.
BINTULU: The Sarawak petanque squad is targeting to secure two gold, two silver and two bronze medals at Sukma XV in Pahang.
Sarawak Petanque Association (Pepsar) president Janudin Abdul Rahman said it is a realistic target for the squad.
“I hope all (petanque) athletes that represent Sarawak will work hard to achieve this aim, committed to their training and adhere to the guidance of head coach and assistant coach and be disciplined,” Janudin told The Borneo Post.
He revealed that the state government is giving RM3,000 cash incentives to athletes who won gold medals at the upcoming Sukma.
“I hope this can be a motivating factor for our young athletes to train harder and deliver gold medals for Sarawak,” said Janudin.
The state petanque team will be headed by head coach Mohd Hamidi Mustaffa and he is assisted by Nuraisha Madang Abdullah and team manager Yazit Belon.
A total of 87 participants turned up during the two-day Sarawak petanque team selection for Sukma 2012 at Bintangor Petanque Court recently.
The athletes came from all divisions in the state.
Based on the selection process, 24 of them (12 males and 12 females) will be placed in the shadow squad and they will be screened for the second time to select 14 players (7 players for men and women’s category) to represent Sarawak in Pahang.
The state petanque team is expected to start their centralised training in April, said Janudin.
He said this after the handing over of the Sarawak flag ceremony from counsellor Law Sie Heng who represented Sarikei MP Ding Kuong Hiing, to the Sarawak petanque team manager Yazit Belon.
Also present at the event were assistant director of Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS) central zone Arrolflynn Elvis Slie, Sarikei Petanque Association president Bahrin Madon, MSNS Petanque sports coordinator Mat Mantali and Sarikei MSNS officer Tugang Sambang.
Arrolflynn on the other hand hoped the association will conduct enhancement programmes for its athletes such as by providing them with more competitive exposures in national and international level.
He added Sarawak can be become a powerhouse in petanque and revealed that more development facilities for the sport will be set up especially in the central zone by MSNS.
