OUNA (B) Champion of badminton tournament
Posted on July 30, 2012, Monday
JUBILATION: Team members of OUNA (B) celebrate after winning their maiden title of the Dayak Closed Doubles Badminton Championship to lift the Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom challenge trophy. Also seen are Alexander and Puan Sri Julia Mawan.
KUCHING: Tournament newcomers team OUNA (B) was in their element at the Dayak Closed Doubles Badminton Championship yesterday to emerge champion and lift the coveted Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom challenge trophy.
During the final match, debutant team OUNA (B) defeated defending champion SDNU (B) 2-1 to clinch the title. It was a hard fought battle with team OUNA (B) fighting tooth and nails for the victory.
In the final showdown, Team OUNA (B) through the pair of Libat Liong and Stamford Saging won the first match in the final against the pair of Ngalih Tinggi and Fleming Micheal in straight set of 21-13, 21-16.
Not wanting give up and let go of their title just yet, SDNU (B) fought back to win the second game to drag the final into the last deciding match. Team OUNA (B) however proved too much of an opponent for team SDNU (B) to handle when they lost the decider.
“It is very sad to have lost the title. We gave a good fight at the final but there’s always a next time,” commented Ngalih who is SDNU (B) team manager, player and also the tournament co-coordinator.
Team OUNA (B) which is based at Bintulu, on the other hand was over the moon with their inaugural effort in the competition. Cheering and shouting out praises for their team after the final match, they are certainly the team to beat next year.
“This is the result of our tremendous hard work in preparing for this tournament. We came all the way here with the strong ambition to win it (the title) and we did it,” enthused Stephen Avun who is the team manager cum player of team OUNA (B).
Stephen too revealed that team OUNA (B) harbours the ambition to keep the challenge trophy and will definitely compete again in next year’s edition of the tournament. Teams who won the cup for more than three times are eligible to take the cup home permanently.
Meanwhile during the closing ceremony of the tournament officiated by Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) deputy president Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, it has been announced that the tournament will be organised outside Kuching next year. He added it would be nice to see the competition go around the state.
“The reason why (to host the tournament outside Kuching next year) is simple. We just want to strengthen ties between the various Dayak communities here in Sarawak,” he added.
Nanta was representing Senior Minister, Minister of Social Development and SDNU President’s Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom. Mawan’s wife Puan Sri Julia Mawan was also present during the closing ceremony.
The 2012 and second edition of the Dayak Closed Doubles Badminton Championship started last Saturday and ended yesterday evening with 30 teams competing. It was a joint effort by Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) and the Ministry of Social Development.
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