CONGRATULATIONS: HKL-TSS award chairman, Dr Gregory Hii Sui Chen (left) hands over the cheque to state volleyball player, Ho Xiao Hui who became the first recipient of the Hii King Leng-Top Sport Star (HKL-TSS) award. Also present to witness the event are (from left) SRAM deputy president Robert Lau Hui Yew, SAVA president Temenggong Vincent Lau Lee Ming, SDVA president Dr William Ting and chairman Moh Ung Min.
Sukma volleyball player Xiao Hui becomes first recipient of Hii King Leng-Top Sport Star award
SIBU: State volleyball player, Ho Xiao Hui yesterday became the first recipient of the Hii King Leng-Top Sport Star (HKL-TSS) award.
She was one of the 10 Sarawak student athletes who had represented the state to fight for honours at national or international level and had qualified for the recently launched HKL-TSS award.
The others are Alex Tiong Sie Hung (swimming), Edward Ling Hung Hui (table tennis), Chieng Lu Ping, Carol Lau Kho Ming (both track and field), Nicholas Sim Choo Wee, Tang Yi Mei and Francis Ling (all taekwondo), Ngu Jiung Wei (aquatic) and William Soo Soon Wei (basketball).
HKL-TSS award chairman, Dr Gregory Hii Sui Chen said the award was for pure academic excellence and had a unique characteristic that was targeted to reward top local sporting stars registered as students in Sarawak schools.
HAPPY CELEBRATION: The victorious Sarawak girls volleyball team together with the top officials of SAVA and SDVA. Front row from third left are Moh, Ting, Robert, Temenggong Vincent Lau and Hii.
“I believe this is the only one in Sarawak to do so and it reflected my own belief that sport is an important component of a wholesome education which helps to build character, discipline, determination and a healthy body, an essential ingredient for success in today’s increasingly competitive and complicated society,” he said at the award presentation ceremony yesterday.
Among those present were Sarawak Volleyball Association (SAVA) president Temenggong Vincent Lau Lee Ming, Sibu Division Volleyball Association (SDVA) president Dr William Ting, chairman Moh Ung Min, Squash Racquets Association Malaysia (SRAM), deputy president Robert Lau Hui Yew and the Sarawak volleyball girls team which had won a gold in the recent Pahang Sukma.
Hii said the fund was also aimed to complement the State Education Department’s move to achieve its dream of achieving 1student1sport programme.
Under the fund, each recipient will receive a cash award of RM600 plus a specially minted medal while the successful candidate will get the RM600 cash award annually for a period of two years.
Hii said the prize money came from the Hii King Leng Scholarship which was set up by himself in memory of his late father, Hii King Leng.
It was launched by Social Development Minister Tan Sri William Mawan on May 30 with an initial grant of RM250,000.
The selection committee for the HKL-TSS award comprises Dr Gregory Hii as chairman, Sibu Resident Sim Kok Kee, prominent lawyer Datuk William Lau Kung Hui, principal of SMK Sacred Heart Stephen Tan Ming Kiong, Rotary president Michael Wee and former educationist Hii Sui Chung.
Hii encouraged student athletes from throughout the state to vie for the award which is open to all races.
“Our target is 20 recipients annually and hopefully, next year we will be able to give out awards to all them and to those from throughout the state instead of the current batch who are from the central region only,” he said.
“In the event that there are more than 20 applicants, the selection committee would choose the 20 top sport stars for consideration,” he said on the selection process and all the state Sukma volleyball players were qualified to apply for the fund.
Hii said the closing date for the next submission is June 15, 2013 and details of the awards as well as the application forms can be downloaded from www.deltaleasing.org.
Applicant must be a student registered in a Sarawak school or college and must have competed at national-level championship at least once in the last two years.
“He or she must also get a pass in all subjects with 50 per cent in Grade B or above in any of the public examinations, such as PMR, SPM or STPM,” he said on the applicants whose family income must not be more than RM50,000 a year.