KUCHING: Champions and sports personalities featured in the book entitled ‘Sarawak Women in Sports’ were honoured in a simple ceremony held at a local hotel here on Monday.
Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah paid tribute to the former stars for being part of Sarawak’s glorious sporting history.
All those featured in the book are women who have represented and won medals for Sarawak and the country.
“What they have done for Sarawak and the country must be appreciated and never be forgotten. Their contribution in bringing glory in sports for the country is significant and on par with the contribution of male Sarawakian athletes too,” she added.
According to Fatimah, the book will be launched next week and will be given to all the women who are featured in the book.
The book, the eighth in a series since 2010, will be officially launched by Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg during the state-level Women’s Day celebration at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) on Aug 26.
The “stars’ in the book were active or are still active in sports from the1950s to the present. Initial research for the book looked at 46 of them who have competed at the national level including the Olympic, Commonwealth, Asian, SEAP and SEA Games, Sukma, Paralympics and Sports for the Deaf (Sopma).
Fatimah also remarked that the list of women athletes included in the is incomplete and there might be a second edition of the book coming soon.
Last year, her ministry had resolved to publish at least one book each year to document women’s contributions in certain fields and recognise their contributions.
The ministry has so far launched seven books in conjunction with the state-level Women’s Day celebrations since 2010: ‘Sarawak Women: Treading The Path of Post Independence Years’, ‘Sarawak Women in Politics’, ‘Sarawak Women in Business: Their Stories’, ‘Sarawak Women in Volunteerism: Caring Hearts, Touching Lives’, ‘Sarawak Women in Politics: The Pioneers’, ‘Sarawak Women in the Arts’ and ‘Sarawak Women in Education: Shaping The Mind, Body and Spirit’.