Ting Siew Nguong
SIBU: Prize money totalling about RM17,000 await top performers at the 2017 Sibu Open Athletics Championships to be held at Tun Zaidi Stadium here on Sept 9 and 10.
The annual championship is expected to attract athletes from throughout the nation.
Sibu Amateur Athletic Association’s secretary Ting Siew Nguong said cash prizes for record breakers and winners of selected events was the main attraction to athletes from outside Sibu.
Organisers aim to attract more athletes than the 600 plus who competed last year.
Events which carry prize money incentives include the 100m (Open, U14 and U-11), 80m hurdles, 100m hurdles and 110m hurdles (U-14 and U-11), discuss (Open and U-14), 800m (Open and U-14), 400m (Open and U-14), long jump (Open and U-14), high jump (U-14 and U-11), 4x 100m Open (U-11) and the Super Men’s 100m (runners weighing over 100kg).
The sponsors are KTS Sdn Bhd (100m Open, U-14 and U-18 categories and 800m), Ta Ann Holding Bhd (100m, U-14 and U-11), McDonalds (80m, 100m and 110m hurdles for U-14 and U-11), Huong Seng Motor Trading Sdn Bhd (long jump for Open and U-11), TN Sports (discus for Open and U-14), Delta Leasing (400m Open and U-14), Smart (high jump Open, U-14 and U-11), Sibu AAA (4 x 100m relay Open and U-14) and Hii King Leng Foundation (Super Men’s 100m).
Each sponsor contributes RM1,200.
The Sibu organisers are believed to be the only athletics association in the country which offer cash prizes to the top three in selected events.
“Through the cash incentive scheme, we hope to attract as many participants as possible and, likewise, to upgrade the standard of the sport,” Ting added.
Cash incentives for record breakers are RM50 for Open category and RM20 for the U-14 and U-11.
The top three in team events for the Open Men and Women will receive RM500, RM300 and RM200.
The corresponding cash prizes for Boy’s and Girl’s U-14 will be RM300, RM200 and RM100 and those for Boys’ and Girls’ U-11 will be RM200, RM150 and RM100.
Entry fees are RM3 (Open), RM2 (U-14 and U-11) and RM5 (team).
Registration may be done online at www.smis.event/Track and Field Online/Sibu Open Track and Field Championship 2017.
Ting may be contacted at 0168881455.
The closing date for entries is on Aug 22.