Looking beyond Queen’s Court for gymnastics centre

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Sukma bronze medallist Emilie celebrating her birthday with Wee (fourth right), Sagma officials, coaches and fellow trainees at the elite training centre at Queen’s Court on Thursday.

Sukma bronze medallist Emilie celebrating her birthday with Wee (fourth right), Sagma officials, coaches and fellow trainees at the elite training centre at Queen’s Court on Thursday.

KUCHING: The Sarawak Amateur Gymnastics Association (Sagma) is hoping that the National Sports Council (MSN) will help secure a centre for the development and training of the rhythmic gymnasts in the state.

Sagma president Helena Christine Wee said the rented premises at the ground floor and sixth floor of Queen’s Court is now unable to accommodate the ever-growing number of trainees.

“We have now 96 trainees including the Sukma gymnasts and we are looking for a big place/centre in the town area where we can conduct not only the training for the elite gymnasts but also the development of young gymnasts,” she said.

Wee said MSN has presented a carpet to Sagma after the hosting of the artistic gymnastics competition of Sukma XVIII and the association does not have a place big enough to hold the carpet. “The carpet is still lying at the MBKS Indoor Stadium in Pending,” Wee said.

On Sukma XVIII, Wee said the state gymnasts had done their very best even though they were up against national gymnasts from three teams.

“We are happy that Emilie Nara Zi Yi Jabu managed to capture a bronze medal for us,” she added, in the backdrop that they had a modest but realistic pre-Sukma forecast of only one gold.

Other state gymnasts were Angeline Teo Jia Mei, Sarah Ng Xi Yan, Rachel Wang Qian Yii and Bonnie Tan Yee Wen

Wee believed that the five state gymnasts aged between 12 and 13 who competed in Sukma XVIII will be able to pose a stronger challenge in the next Sukma to be hosted by Perak in 2018.

“To prepare for 2018 Sukma, we will be holding a selection trial at the end of the month to pick 16 more gymnasts to join the elite group. Apart from that, we will also select 10 eight-year-old gymnasts to prepare them for 2020,” she said.

The association is also hoping to get a foreign coach to help improve the standard of the state gymnasts in the long run. — by Ting Tieng Hee