FOCUSED: State judokas executing the randori routine during a training session held at the Sarawak Judo Association dojo in Kuching. — Photo by Matthew T. Umpang
KUCHING: Sarawak Judo Association president Francis Chan revealed that the state needs more judo coaches and training centres statewide if they were to have greater successes in future Sukma games, national and international judo meets.
Chan added that there is a need to open new centres throughout Sarawak.
There are plans by the association to open new centres and divisional associations in Sibu, Bintulu and Miri.
Currently there is only one judo centre (or dojo) in the whole of the state which is located in Jalan Pending, here.
“We need to open more centres as we think that Sarawak has the potential to produce the best exponents (judokas) in the country. All we need now is to expand our facilities,” he commented.
With only one school actively participating in the martial arts sport, most of the state’s judokas are currently from Chung Hua Middle School Number One (CHMS No.1).
Chan hope that more schools in the state will show interest in the sport as Sarawak is one the judo powerhouses in the country.
“Sarawak has always been excellent in the sport especially at the national level. During the last Sukma in 2011, judo presented the state with one of its only two gold medals during the games,” he added.
Apart from the need to have more dojos, the state currently has only one judo coach for the whole of Sarawak.
“We have only one coach, Anderson Venus coaching our state team. He is an experienced national judoka attached to the Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS),” said Chan.
The state judo team will compete at the upcoming National Judo Championship in Penang as one of their exposure trip.
It will be one of their exposure trips in the team’s preparation for the coming Sukma XVI in Kuala Lumpur next year.