Dr Ong Kong Swee
KUCHING: Preparations for the upcoming 18th Sukma are going smoothly for the Sarawak contingent.
Sarawak Sports Coorporation chief executive officer Dr Ong Kong Swee told The Borneo Post yesterday that the training programme of our athletes are going according to schedule.
“They are also training overseas and competing in a few tournaments in the national circuit in our effort to give them the needed exposure and experience before the games,” he said.
He noted that the boxing squad is in Thailand while some taekwondo athletes representing Sarawak just competed in the national tournament circuit in Peninsula Malaysia.
“This is good to enhance performance and bring self-confidence but we do not want them to peak too early.”
Reporting that the athletes have kept themselves injury-free, he said he preferred them not to over-exert themselves.
“The fasting month might affect their schedule but then many athletes from other states will face the same problems,” he said.
Commenting on Sarawak’s target of 72 gold medals, he hoped to see these coming from all the sports competed.
The 24 sports in the 2016 Sukma programme include aquatics (swimming and diving), archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, karate, lawn bowls, petangue, sepak takraw, taekwondo, shooting, tennis, volleyball (indoor and beach), silat, squash, sailing, wushu and weightlifting.
“We want to be the best and we want our athletes to win. We will be having a motivation camp before the games commences and we know it will help to boost their confidence,” Ong disclosed.
The last time that Sarawak hosted Sukma was in 1990.
At the 2014 Sukma held in Perlis, Sarawak was placed fourth after capturing 51 gold, 40 silver and 40 bronze medals.