SIBU: Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh yesterday pledged to contribute RM10,000 towards Sibu Amateur Swimming Association (SASA) to help the association grow and promote the development of swimming.
CONGRATULATIONS: Wong (left) giving away the Best Boys ‘C’ award to Gui Ping. Looking on from left are Ngieng, Kuo and Tiong.
“We can see that the our swimmers are doing very well and, hopefully, the money can be used by SASA to reward the outstanding swimmers to spur them to train even harder,” he said at the closing of the 40th Sarawak Age Group Swimming Championship at Bukit Lima Swimming Pool.
Wong, however, reminded the swimmers that monetary reward was not everything.
“What is important is the honour to win medals,” he added.
He said nothing could be accomplished if the swimmers did not put in effort to improve themselves.
“So you really have to work hard to attain success and when you have reached that stage, you will eventually become champions,” he said, adding that there was no shortcut to success.
However, in their pursuit for sports glory, Wong reminded the swimmers not to neglect their academic studies.
Swimming, Wong reiterated, is a healthy sport which is good in developing the mind and shaping a person’s character.
“A healthy body comes with a healthy mind,” he said, adding that the losers should never feel down as there was a chance for them to come back.
“You might be the losers for this year and become winners the next year and so competition just goes round and round and that is how we improve.”
Among those at the closing ceremony were SASA chairman Daniel Ngieng, treasurer Oliver Kuo and SMC chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King.