Sharifah Hasidah (second left), Ryan (third right) and others pose for a group photo at the opening of the Malaysia Yo-Yo Championship 2016 in Kuching.
KUCHING: Local yo-yo players hope that the sport would be included as one of the sports in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in the near future.
According to Sport Club Yo-Blitz Kuching president Ryan Han, it is possible to achieve such a goal if given the chance and support needed to encourage youths in Sarawak to nurture their talents and passion in yo-yoing.
He said this during the opening of the Malaysia Yo-Yo Championship 2016 at Plaza Merdeka here yesterday, which was officiated at by Assistant Minister of Early Childhood Education and Family Development Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.
In her remarks, Sharifah Hasidah said yo-yoing should no longer be seen as a child’s toy as it had slowly evolved into a sport.
As such, she said yo-yoing could also help in early childhood education, such as training the left brain and the right brain as they grew.
She pointed out that yo-yoing was limitless when it came to tricks, as one must use the brain to formulate new tricks that would appeal to the audience.
“When I first saw Ryan perform his yo-yo tricks, I knew this was going to be something to pursue in the near future, as he frequently mentioned that he wanted yo-yo to be in the Sukma — I too believe that it could happen as well.
“Yo-yoing could also serve as another healthy activity,” she said.
The Malaysia Yo-Yo Championship has been going strong for the past 11 years since it was first held in Kuala Lumpur in 2005.
This is the first ever national yo-yo contest ever organised here and the first time it is run outside Kuala Lumpur, after Sport Club Yo-Blitz Kuching secured the rights to host it here.
The three-day event (June 3-5) aims to revive the interest in yo-yoing and also to allow over 55 players from across the country to pit their skills against one another in this contest.
This will also be the first time that the contest is offering a women’s division.
Sharifah Hasidah is expected to officiate at the closing of the tournament today.