Dr Gregory Hii Sui Cheng
SIBU: Sibu Division Amateur Athletics Association (SDAAA) president Dr Gregory Hii Sui Cheng has stressed the need to have a sports school to boost sports development in Sibu Division.
He used the 43rd MSSS athletics championship held in Sibu earlier this month to back up the case.
“Judging by the current scenario, it is virtually impossible that Sibu Division will be able to lift the overall title which we so desperately needed,” he said at the SDAAA annual general meeting held over the weekend.
At the recent inter-division schools meet, Kuching Division accumulated 447 points to emerge overall champion, followed by Miri with 440 points, Sibu with 309 points, Sarikei 200 points and Bintulu with 140 points.
“Last year, Miri was the overall champion and Kuching managed to wrest the title from Miri this year. In a nutshell, the MSSS championship can be narrowed down to the rivalry between Kuching and Miri ,” he said.
Kuching, he pointed out, has a sports school, SMK Tabuan Jaya, which produced good athletes year in year out.
Miri, he continued, has a good crop of dedicated coaches with good sports facilities to enhance the performance of the athletes.
“The schools in the central region also have a number of good coaches but it is still not enough to help lift the overall title. Good coaches alone is not enough and we need to have more outstanding athletes who will really fight for the titles,” he added.
Hii suggested a sports school be built in Sibu Division at any place to be decided by the Social Development Ministry.
He noted that SDAAA had already introduced a special scheme of cash incentives for athletes who excelled in 10 sponsored events at the Sibu’s own divisional athletics meet.
“The cash incentives scheme is beginning to bear fruits and if we can have the sports school also, it will just be superb.
“And if indeed we can come up with a sports school, I am confident that Sibu Division will also be able to give Kuching and Miri divisions a run for the titles,” he said.
On a separate matter, Hii appealed to the police to beef up security at the SDAAA gym in front of the Tun Zaidi Stadium.
Frequent break-in at the gym had caused huge losses in the past few years and forced the SDAAA to store equipment at one of the schools here.
“However, thieves broke into the school recently and took away the computer for pro-timing system machine that cost about RM25,000,” he lamented, saying the absence of the machine had disrupted and affected their preparation for the 43rd MSSS championship.
Meanwhile, Hii was re-elected as the president of SDAAA with Ting Siew Nguong remaining as secretary and Lau Kah Ding as assistant secretary.
The treasurer is Kuek Tat Lee.