STATE HONOURS: Nine of the 12 players from SMK Columba Miri who will form the backbone of the Sarawak contingent.
MIRI: SMK St. Columba Miri principal, Robinette Tiong, is hoping that Sarawak can achieve glory at the national Under-18 softball championship currently held in Negeri Sembilan from June 2 – 8.
Twelve of her students are among the 14 players from Miri Division selected to form the Sarawak team for the competition.
The Miri boys are Ahmad Eshlie Zamanimaran, Fabian Francis, Xavier Ino Lee, Arif Bujang, Victor Jok Karim, Ezra Labo David (all from SMK St. Columba), and Jonathan Yaw Hon Joon from SMK Chung Hua Miri. The rest of the boys are from Kuching (5) and Sibu (3).
The majority of the players in the girls’ team are from SMK St Columba, namely two sisters Nadia Chin and Haifa Chin Ishak, Samantha Ligeng Kato, Nur Aisyah Mazlan, Sheila Shalin Narawi and Nurhaliza Siti Elvis. The rest are from Kolej TDT Bujang (1), Kuching (5) and Mukah (3). Selection was completed at the recent state-level championship, in which Miri teams emerged overall champion after winning both the boy’s and girl’s titles.
In the finals, the boys won with a score of 8-3 against Kuching while the girls beat Kuching 19-3.
The Miri teams were coached by Aaron Abel and Ishak Chin Abdullah from the Sarawak Softball Association (SSA) as well as Filipino Manuel Bacrisas.
“We are extremely proud of them all and also hope that Sarawak can bring glory for the state from the national level championship,” said Tiong to the Borneo Post.