A TRUE SPORTS LEADER: Sarawak Schools Sports Council (MSS Sarawak) technical committee chairman Ting Siew Nguong (right) was honoured at the recent 20th Sarawak Chief Minister’s Special Awards presentation ceremony. He received the Primary School Teachers Co-Curriculum exemplary award from Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud while State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Morshidi Ghani (centre) looks on.
Ting receives exemplary award at 20th S’wak Chief Minister’s Special Awards ceremony
KUCHING: Sarawak Schools Sports Council (MSS Sarawak) technical committee chairman Ting Siew Nguong was honoured at the recent 20th Sarawak Chief Minister’s Special Awards presentation ceremony held at Hilton Kuching.
The 57-year-old teacher was appointed as MSSS technical committee chairman from 1997 until present day and had led the state contingent to victory in the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) Track and Field Championships for a record 13 times.
Ting who is also secretary of Sibu Amateur Athletics Association since 1983 and secretary of the Sibu Amateur Basketball Association since 1984 was announced as the recipient of this year’s Primary School Teachers Co-Curriculum exemplary award.
Sarawak was the undisputed junior athletics powerhouse after winning the event at Perlis in 1997 and 2012, Perak (1998, 2011), Sabah (1999), Pahang (2002), Melaka (2003), Negeri Sembilan (2004), Pulau Pinang (2005, 2006), Kuala Lumpur (2007), Selangor (2008), Johor (2010).
The award was also a due recognition for his enormous contribution towards improving the standard of education in the schools he previously taught in and especially in the development of athletics among students in Sarawak.
“I hope more teachers will come forward and get involved in sports,” Ting told the Borneo Post of the award which he hope will inspire others to follow suit.
He was first posted to SMK Marudi in 1978 and served there until 1980 and later taught at SMK St Elizabeth in Sibu from 1981 to 1988 where he was actively involved in coaching athletics and basketball in both schools.
SMK Marudi were the overall inter-school athletics champion in 1980 while SMK St Elizabeth were the overall girls’ champions from 1983 to 1988 and also the inter-schools basketball champion from 1982-1988.
Ting had coached Sibu’s women basketball team which won the 1983 state level championship and also from 1985 to 1992. He was the state’s Sukma athletics team head coach in 1988 and 2002.
After being promoted to headmaster in four primary schools, Ting had not much time for active coaching but was more involved with the administrative work.
He was also attached to the Julau District Education Office from 1989 to 1992.
Ting’s contribution to the development of athletics can be seen in his capacity as the planner, coordinator, managing athletics activities at state level such as Athletics Coaching and Sports Science Course and Centralised Training for Sarawak Contingent for MSSM.
He was also the coordinator for District Training Centres Programme (PLD) and High Performance School Sports (SPTS) since 2009 until now.
A visionary man, Ting was the first local coach to use the Sports Module for Athletics in the implementation of the “One Student, One Sport” policy as well as a member of the state’s Athletics Talent Identification panel.
Under his guidance, four students were selected to represent Malaysia at the Asian Schools Cross Country Championship in Ulaanbaator, Mongolia from June 24-26 last year and won the overall third placing in the girls’ category.
In 1998, Ting was awarded the ‘Kebesaran Negeri Bintang Sarawak’ (BBS) by the state government for his excellent service in the education sector.