Ting the latest to sponsor cash prizes for athletic championship

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Ting Siew Nguong

SIBU: A businessman here is the latest person to offer cash prizes to podium finishers at the 11th edition of the Sibu Open Athletic Championship to be held on September 9 and 10 at Stadium Tun Zaidi

Goh Kee Seng, the managing director of Huong Seng Motor Trading Sdn Bhd., (HSMT) has agreed to sponsor one of the events for the championship which will be announced in due course.

“Including the sponsorship from Goh, we now have 10 sponsors for 10 selected events,” Sibu Division Amateur Athletics Association (SDAAA) secretary Ting Siew Nguong said during the association annual general meeting held last Tuesday night.

Besides HSMT, the other sponsors are KTS Sdn. Bhd which sponsors 100m for men’s and women’s 100m and Open and U-14 sections for 800m, Ta Ann Holdings (Boy’s 100m and Girl’s U-14 and U-11), McDonald (Boy’s U-14 110m hurdles, Girl’s U-14 100m hurdles, Boy’s and Girl’s U-11 80m hurdles.)

The long jump event for Open and U-14 sections will be sponsored by Hiap Ngee Seng, TN Sports (men’s discuss and U-14 sections), Delta Leasing (men’s and women’s 400m), SMART Group of Companies (U-14 and U-11 high jump, SAAA (4x 100 m relay for Open ad U-14 sections), Hii King Leng Foundation (100m for 100kg and above). Each sponsor contributed RM1,200 as cash incentives to the winners.

Ting said the meet has become a major attraction to athletes from throughout the state.

“Last year, the meet attracted over 600 athletes from Kuching, Betong, Sarikei, Kapit, Bintulu and Miri divisions.”

In the past years, Ting said athletes from Sabah and Peninsula Malaysia also flew all the way here to take part in the competition, making the meet highly competitive and challenging.

Besides the sponsored events, Ting said trophies and cash prizes will also be awarded to the Open sections (men’s and women’s) whereby the champion will bring home RM500, 1st runners-up RM300 and 2nd runners-up RM200.

The winners in the boy’s and girl’s U-14 will receive RM300, RM200 and RM100 while the winners of the boy’s and girl’s U-11 will get RM200, RM150 and RM100 respectively.

“On top of that, new record winners will also get cash incentives,” he added.

Ting said SDAAA will also organise the Relay Festival in November, though the date for the competition is yet to be fixed.

“Last year, due to poor response, the event was cancelled. Hopefully, this year we can get enough runners and proceed with the event.”