Ong (left) congratulating Wong at the MSNS office.
KUCHING: Sarawak Sports Corporation chief executive officer Dr Ong Kong Swee has called for the setting up of a national sports training centre for wushu for Sabah and Sarawak to be based in Kuching.
In congratulating Wushu Association of Sarawak (WFS) president Allen Wong Siew Poh on being elected as president of the Wushu Federation of Malaysia (WFM) and WFS secretary William Kong Sing Yii as WFM secretary, Ong said the appointment besides being a great honour to Sarawak also means that both Wong and Kong can work to help promote the sport for the Sabah and Sarawak.
Wong and Kong won their respective posts in the WFM election during its annual general meeting last Sunday.
“It is high time that a national training centre be set up in the Sabah-Sarawak region as Sarawak has been very active in producing athletes for the national team.
“So far, little has being done for the wushu development for Sabah and Sarawak by the national body and it is hoped that with our two Sarawak officials in the national body can help bring about this development.
“With the setting up of such a centre, you can see a lot more talents being produced from the two states,” said Ong who added that Sarawak should be an ideal place as the state has been active in terms of development and had been doing very well in the sport in the past editions of Sukma.
Ong, who is also Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS) director, said the establishment of a national training centre means more professional coaches and equipment can be sent to Sarawak by the national sports council.
Wong welcomed the idea of setting up of a national training centre in Sarawak as it can ensure a good future for the sport in East Malaysia. He is looking forward to make sure that wushu is run fairly in the country.
For the first step, he will see to it that amendments will be made to the constitution guarding the national wushu body as raised up by Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) secretary general Datuk Low Beng Choo recently.
For Sarawak, Wong will also be introducing the new event of sanda or free-sparring event which is now competed in SEA Games and will also be included in the next Sukma in 2018.