File photo of Madalina receiving the Best Athlete Award for Girls U12 from State Education director Hajjah Serina Sauni in Sibu last Saturday.
SIBU: The Sarawak Schools Sports Council (MSSS) is gunning for at least 18 gold medals at the Malaysia Schools Sports Council (MSSM) Track and Field Championship to be held in Malacca in May.
Its technical committee chairman Ting Siew Nguong revealed that they were sending 83 athletes for the four-day championship.
They were picked based on their performances at the state-level MSSS championship held at Tun Zaidi Stadium here last week.
Of the 83, Miri accounted for the most number with 18 athletes named. Kuching has 16, Sibu 14, Sarikei 13, Bintulu 7, Limbang 6, Kapit 4, Samarahan 3 and Sri Aman 2.
Limbang’s Madalina Mimi Angga, who shattered the Girls U12 long jump record with a leap of 4.77m to erase a 36-year-old record, is among those included.
Ting himself described Madalina’s performance as spectacular and full of potential.
Others in the list include sprinter Norris Foo who created three records in Girls U18 100m, 200m and 100m hurdles; hurdles specialist Quek Lee Yong; strongman Wong Siew Hung who cracked the record in Boys Open hammer; and Samuel Ling whose distance last week surpassed the national U-15 shot putt record.
Ting, however, stopped short of saying whether the state contingent would return with the overall team title.
Sarawak is the defending champion in the annual national schools inter-state athletics championship.
“We do hope to come back with the title to add to our list of accolades.
“Meantime, the athletes just have to work hard and do their best at the championship.”