STATE COLOURS: Mawan presenting the state flag to Lee as others looks on at the event.
KOTA SAMARAHAN: The final week leading to the upcoming Sukma XV in Pahang is the right time for the Sarawak contingent to focus on athletes’ management so as to ensure the state contingent will be fully prepared and up for the task in the hunt for gold medals.
Sukma Chef De Mission Datuk Lee Kim Shin said with less than a week before the official kick start of Sukma on July 7, the officials, coaches and athletes should aim for perfection.
“We must look at the final days leading to Sukma as the time to look into the finer details and ensure everything will run smoothly,” said Lee who is the Assistant Minister for Sports at a ceremony to hand over the Sarawak flag to the state contingent at Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman Petra of UNIMAS, here yesterday. Lee added that with the state sending one of the biggest contingents at the games with 376 athletes, it is also vital for everyone to focus on only winning gold, as it is the important factor to determine the overall winner of the sports meet.
“I am sure that everyone now is high in spirit to go for glory, and with enough training and exposure both locally and outside the country I am sure Sarawak is on the right track to win the overall title,” he said.
Meanwhile Minister of Social Development Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom in his address to the state contingent called for every athlete to look up to Sarawakian-born athletes who shine internationally and emulate their attitude of carrying high competitive sporting spirit.
They are Pandelela Rinong, Bryan Nickson Lomas, Azlan Iskandar and Dayana Bong who are stars in their respective sports, he added.
“Their capabilities, determination and hard work should be a good example for participating athletes who represent the state in the upcoming Sukma, and I am sure there will be several of you who will follow their footsteps,” he said.
Expressing confident that Sarawak will be able to bag the most medals at the tournament, Mawan also said that he is putting his hope that the state contingent will be able to win the tournament like they did in previous years.