Newly minted president Abang Khalid (centre) and his deputy Ismail (second right) in a group photograph with the rest of the office bearers of the Kuching Division Sepak Takraw Association.
KUCHING: The new-look committee of Kuching Division Sepak Takraw Association, headed by entrepreneurs Datuk Abang Khalid Marzuki and Ismail Abang Saufi as new president and deputy president respectively, are now working on bringing back the glory days to this sport in Kuching and the state of Sarawak.
Abang Khalid said the task now is to organise activities to revive the interest among the younger generation to embrace this sport and at the same time improve the standard of sepak takraw.
As such, he said several programmes have been planned, including organising an inter-secondary school tournament called the ‘YB Datuk Seri Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusof Cup’, seminars, coaching clinics, workshops and others.
He pointed out the main target is to unearth new talents who can be groomed into potential players for the Sarawak state team,
“At the state level, Kuching Division Sepak Takraw Association have produced several talented players for the Sarawak team competing at national level tournaments and in the Borneo Cup.
“In fact, Sarawak in the early 1980s used to be among top five teams at the national level. Several players from Sarawak have been enlisted to play for the national team, and they went on to represent Malaysia at international tournaments,” he said.
To help re-make Sarawak as a powerhouse in sepak takraw, he said the association’s new-look committee has agreed to organise several tournaments after Hari Raya Puasa in July until end of this year.
He said the tournaments include the Kuching Division Closed Tournament to vie for the Pekema Sarawak Cup. “I call on and invite the sepak takraw clubs in Kuching Division to work together with us in the development of this sport,” said Abang Khalid.
For the record, Abang Khalid and Ismail are also respectively the chairman and deputy chairman of Association of Malay Importers and Traders of Motor Vehicles Malaysia (Pekema) Sarawak.
Meanwhile, Kuching Division Sepak Takraw Association vice president Ahmad Osman believed the dynamic combination of Abang Khalid and Ismail can bring the association and the level of sepak takraw to new heights.
Abang Khalid and Ismail were elected following the Kuching Division Sepak Takraw Association’s triennial delegates meeting on April 19.
“Since the 1970s, sepak takraw has been very popular in the villages here, and many tournaments were oganised then. That is why Sarawak was once a very strong team at the national level.
“With these two personalities now on board this association, I strongly believe we can do more to revive interest in this sport and bring back the glory days,” he said.
The other committee members are secretary Rashidi Solek, assistant secretary Openg Bujang Sum, treasurer Jaffari Idris, assistant treasurer Shamsuddin Sapri, and ordinary exco members Amat Teni, Sharkawi Taibi, Mahmud Nerawi, Madihi Sirat, Ahmad Sairi Awang and Shamsudin Obeng.