Participants at the recently concluded Merdeka Kabaddi Tournament held at the SMK Kuching High.
KUCHING: The development of the relatively new sport of kabaddi in Sarawak is seriously hampered by the lack of funds.
This is according to state kabaddi coach Ganisan Punisamy who cited travelling and organising costs for the predicament.
On behalf of the Sarawak Kabaddi Association (SKA), he is appealing for those interested in the sport to step up to support the state team.
He reasoned that there is a valid reason to help the state players.
“We have proven that we are one of the top state teams in the country by winning titles here and there. We are not an inexperienced team anymore,” he added.
He gave the example of organising tournaments in Sarawak.
Rental of venues and lodging places for the teams involved in tournament were the main cause why a considerable budget is required, he lamented.
“The last tournament organised here was the national tournament known as the Merdeka Kabaddi Tournament. Although it was a success, we had to fork out a lot of money for it,” he said.
A total of eight state teams competed in the tournament held at the SMK Kuching High from Sept 5-6.
The Sarawak women’s team finished runners-up to Selangor.
Ganisan said that it would be a shame if the development of kabaddi in the state was halted by financial problems.
He also suggested SKA could not rely solely on the funds and assistance from the state government. They should look for extra funds to help develop the sport if they really want to progress further, he added.