READY TO GO: State swimmers will be among the 191 students competing in the 25th Kuching Age Group Swimming Championship to be held at the Centre of Excellence for Aquatics of Youth and Sports Complex starting today.
KUCHING: State Sukma swimmers Roydon Ong, Sarah Ann-Thorpe and sisters Angela and Annie Chieng will be among the 191 swimmers competing in the 25th Kuching Age Group Swimming Championship to be held at the Centre of Excellence for Aquatics of Youth and Sports Complex starting today.
Together with swimmers from 25 primary and secondary schools in Kuching and Kota Samarahan, they will be vying for tickets to compete in the coming Sarawak Age Group Swimming Championship to be held in Sibu from Feb 28 to Mar 2.
According to Kuching Amateur Swimming Association (KASA) secretary Sylvia Lau, close to 1,000 entries were received for the two-day event organised by the association.
“This event is part of KASA’s annual activities which is also aimed at assessing the progress of the swimmers especially those in the younger age groups,” she said.
Lau said the events to be competed are freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and individual medley.
“The freestyle will include 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1,500m while the breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly will involve 50m, 100m and 200m,” she added.
Apart from that the events organised are relay for 4x100m freestyle, 4x100m individual medley and 4x50m individual medley for Group 4 and 5.
“Those who meet the qualifying times set by Kasa will represent Kuching at the Sarawak Age Group Swimming Championship,” added Lau.
Today’s events will start at 8am and expected to end at 5pm with permanent secretary to Ministry of Social Development Affandi Keli will close the event tomorrow.
Meanwhile KASA’s chief coach Anthony Kong expressed optimism for his swimmers to do well in their respective events.
“For me I love the challenge and the thrill of competition…I don’t think about being nervous at any level of swimming championships,” he said on the event which will also be participated by state paralympian, Brian Chua.
Brian who was did not compete in last year’s Pahang Paralympiad is expected to go all out to prove his worth and to give the others a run for the money.