OFF TO BANGKOK: Frederick Tan (fifth right), and (from fourth right) Check Joon, Salleh, Ramliee posing with the state taekwondo team and officials at the Kuching International Airport. The Sarawak Taekwondo Association are sending Sukma XV team for intensive training in Bangkok.
KUCHING: The Sarawak Taekwondo Association (WTF) are confident that the state taekwondo team can surpass the two-gold medal haul achieved in the last Sukma and are banking on the female exponents to deliver in Sukma XV hosted by Pahang from July 7 to 16.
Its president Mohd Salleh Sani said his optimism was based on the results of the exponents at the recent 3rd Leg of the Sportexcel-NSC-Milo-taekwondo Malaysia (WTF) National Junior Circuit here in Kuching.
“The exponents displayed true grit, perseverance and determination to win during the national circuit.
“If they continue to possess such strong mentality and are in the right frame of mind, there is every chance we will achieve a better result than that at the last Sukma,” he said.
Salleh said as part of the preparations for the challenge at Sukma XV, the association are sending the full team of 16 exponents (eight boys and eight girls) to Bangkok, Thailand for more than a month of intensive centralised training stint.
They left for Bangkok on Wednesday afternoon and upon completion of the training spell, the team will fly straight to Pahang where the competition for taekwondo has been scheduled from July 3 to 6.
Salleh, Sarawak State Sports Council deputy director Frederick Tan and coordinator for taekwondo Ramliee Ahmad were also present at Kuching International Airport to send the team off.
According to state technical chairman Master Tan Check Joon, the Sukma team had also undergone a one-week friendly match and intensive training in Bangkok last month.
“The coming exposure trip is aimed at sharpening their skills, finding the best way to overcome their weakness and improving on their strengths.
“They have been working round the clock and all of them have only one thing in mind… that is to bring back as many gold medals as possible for the state,” he said.