JUBILANT MOOD: SMK Tabuan Girls’ Under-14 and Under-15 team members in jubilant mood after winning the 4×100 and 4×400 relays at held Stadium Negeri yesterday. SMK Sukan Tabuan stole the limelight of the 49th Kuching MSSM Track and Field Championship after they defended their title for the fourth consecutive time.
KUCHING: Young talents from SMK Sukan Tabuan stole the limelight of the 49th Kuching MSSM Track and Field Championship held at Stadium Negeri, Petra Jaya yesterday.
The sports school collected 396 points and brought home a medal haul of 30 gold, 9 silver and 4 bronze to defend their championship title for the fourth consecutive time.
Coming in second was SMK Lundu with 346 points and a medal haul of 10 gold, 10 Silver and 20 bronze medals while SMK Sematan finished third after bagging 7 gold, 8 silver and 10 bronze medals.
Finishing respectively from fourth to tenth placings were SMK- Tun Abang Haji Openg 159 points, Bau 152 points, Siburan 141 points, Tun Abdul Razak 140 points, SM Lodge 122 points, Santubong 132 points and SMK Lake 119 points
SMK Tabuan Jaya rising star Norfamisiah Wati Said shone once again, winning the Girls’ under-14 high jump with a new record height of 1.49 metres and she finished second behind SMK Lundu’s Kyra Edward in the 100m hurdles.
In the Boys’ under-18 Triple Jump, SMK Tabuan Jaya’s Richard Stanly Nina picked up a gold medal with a record leap of 13.86 metres while teammate Ariana Nurminda Arifin showed her all-round prowess with a first-place finish in the Girls’ Under-18 hurdles.
SMK Lundu narrowly missed top spot behind SMK Tabuan Jaya despite finishing on the podium in two of the three last events of the final day.
The Boys’ Under-18 cross country runner, SMK Lundu’s Wan Haikal Wan Zainal finished first on the podium in the 1,500m open event but third place in 1,500m Under-18 race.
The orgainising chairman who is also the principal of SMK Abdul Razak Dr. Linton @Jerrah Britten said that the track and field meet is the highlight of the events organised by Zon C which comprised of nine secondary schools in Kuching division.
“I think a lot of people wanted to win, but the commitment wasn’t there. It was all about, the athletics’ winning programme and now, when you look at what SMK Tabuan Jaya’s coaches have done to produce champions, it needs a lot of commitment,” he said.
A total of 1,713 athletes from 58 schools took part in the event which was officially closed by Kuching Division Education Officer Mahli Rosli.