TALENTED: The U-13 girls competing in the 800m of the Talent Camp High Performance games at SMK Tabuan Jaya Mini Stadium recently.
KUCHING: A total of 56 athletes from Kuching division were selected to compete in the Inter-Division Track and Field Championship to be held in Kapit from Oct 30 to Nov 1.
The athletes were mainly from the U-10, U-11 and U-12 categories. They were selected from the State Education Department (JPN) High Performance Sports Development Programme (SPTS) in collaboration with Sarawak Sports Council (MSNS), aimed to unearth potential talented athletes to represent Sarawak in Sukma 2016.
“The state-wide, extensively run development programme also serves as a linkage for MSNS to the rural areas.”
“It is also meant as a scouting platform for potentially talented athletes to be trained under the guidance of qualified coaches. The athletes will also have the chance to represent the state,” disclosed the development programme technical chairman Stanly Steward to The Borneo Post yesterday.
ON YOUR MARK: Kuching’s athletes in the Talent Camp Sports High Performance games at SMK Tabuan Jaya Mini Stadium recently.
He added that once the athletes have been identified they would be placed at sports training centres of excellent throughout the state.
Stanly also said that the sports talents centres would only complement MSNS in scouting and training the athletes for the state.
“ For the past five years the Sarawak Education department coordinating with MSNS have unearthed potential athletes especially from rural schools in Bau, Lundu and Sematan in Kuching , Engkili and Saratok in Betong, Baram and Sebuti in Miri,” he informed.
The director of MSNS when contacted yesterday revealed that the Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation ( KPSU) is giving top priority to sports, especially track-and-field events in the state by allotting more funds towards sports as part of encouraging and proving infrastructure facilities in the rural areas to tap the rural talent.
“Apart from constructing mini sports stadium in every division and districts the ministry of education had made compulsory sports hour in the schools as part to fulfil its policy decision of ‘One Student One Sport” , said Francis Nyurang Ding.
He added that there might be many kids having talent in sports but not been recognised because of being in rural area so steps have to be taken through the development programme to hunt these talents and bring them to the main stream.
“Sometime it will not be easy for youngsters from rural area because of their poor financial conditions and also the place where they live in as there may not be enough facilities to enhance their sports’ skills and also getting into serious sports does need dedication and commitment,” Francis said.