File photo of Grace displaying her three gold medals at last year’s MSSM Meet held in Alor Setar, Kedah.
Ngu Ing Biao
KUCHING: Throwers from Sarikei are expected to propel Sarawak’s quest to retain the overall title at the 57th MSSM Inter-State Track & Field Championship to be held in Melaka from May 10-14.
The state school athletes are going all out to win the national title for the sixth consecutive year. In the past three years 2012-2014, athletes in the four throwing events – Shot Put, Discus, Javelin and Hammar – have contributed half or 25 of the team’s gold medal tally of 50.
And the bulk of these throwers are from Sarikei Division.
Grace Wong and Queenie Ting will be leading the charge to continue Sarawak’s domination of the throwing events.
15-year-old Grace is already a ‘veteran’ in the team as this will be her 6th year representing the state. In 2010, while in primary four, she won her first gold in the U12 Shot Put despite competing against girls two years older.
‘Amazing’ Grace has been battling older opponents ever since and winning.
She really hit the big time last year.
The form two student of Sarikei High School was adjudged the ‘Best Girl’ athlete at last year’s MSSM Meet after she won the U15 Shot Put and Discus, and Hammer (open to all age groups).
A month later at the 2014 Sukma (U21), she caused a major sensation by taking the Hammer gold with a throw (55.82m) which was further than the winning distance at the 2013 SEA Games.
Quickly coopted into the national SEA Games squad, she has moved to Bukit Jalil Sports School since March this year.
Queenie Ting has made the Discus her exclusive domain at the MSSM Championship. She will going for her 5th gold medal in the event.
File photo of (from fourth left) Ling, Queenie and Liong all eyes on the Shot Put event in progress at the Jubilee Ground, Kuching during last year’s state schools championship.
She won the U15 title in 2011 and 2012 followed by the U18 gold in 2013 and 2014. Her winning distance last year was a record-breaking 44.02m.
Queenie, a student of Sarikei High School, is also the reigning Sukma champion.
Sarikei’s male throwers have also owned the Hammer event (open to all age groups).
Sarawak has won the event every year since 2008. The long line of past gold medallist include current national record holder Jackie Wong who won in 2008, 2009 and 2010, Michael Sia (2011 and 2012) and Jackson Wong (2013 and 2014).
Last year’s silver medallist Wong Siew Hung from SM Ming Lik, Sarikei is the clear favourite to continue Sarawak’s winning streak this year.
At last month’s state championship, he threw 59.47m which is better than Jackie’s winning distance of 58.43m last year.
Javelin thrower Wong Nie Nie of SMK Tong Hua, Meradong is expected to challenge defending champion and fellow Sarawakian Celine Kong for the U18 title.
She upset Celine to win the state title with a distance of 36.21m in Sibu last month. Celine, who is from Miri, won the MSSM title with 36.74m last year.
Another gold medal prospect in the Sarawak team this year is Ngu Ing Biao in the U15 Discus. It will be his first time competing at the national schools meet.
The student from Sarikei High School qualified for Melaka after winning the state title last month with a throw of 54.15m.
The winning distance at last year’s MSSM Meet was 47.41m.
What’s the secret behind Sarikei’s prowess in producing so many top throwers year in year out?
State team officials and the athletes give much credit to Sarikei-based coaches led by Ling Neng Thung and his close collaborator Liong Shuen Keong.
It is fitting that the state team have been undergoing their final centralised training stint in Sarikei since April 21.
It will end today with a ceremony to hand over the state flag at SMK St Anthony, Sarikei.