Sharifah Hasidah (third row, middle) and other guests pose with the winning teams.
Team Thailand-Penang which emerges as champions.
MIRI: There is a need to enhance women’s involvement in sepak takraw in the state, said Assistant Minister of Law, Federal-State Relations and Project Monitoring Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.
She believes that will help ensure that they can also contribute towards the development of the sport in the long term.
“I was made to understand that our women are very good players in sepak takraw.
“Sepak takraw is a game that we honor, and I will continue to support and perhaps work out several programmes with Sarawak Sepak Takraw Association (PSS) and its president Dato Sri Abang Khalid Abang Marzuki for the development of sepak takraw and encourage more women to participate in this sport,” she pledged during the prize presentation-cum-closing ceremony of the International Invitation Chief Minister of Sarawak Sepaktakraw Challenge Trophy 2017 at a leading hotel here on Saturday.
“The state government will continue to support efforts in organising this tournament in the future, with a large scale, and we also want to see more women getting them involved in this sport,” she added.
The inaugural edition of the international event attracted teams from several countries as well as from Sabah.
Thailand-Penang (Fenhas) emerged as champions after beating PSS B from Sarawak in the final on Saturday.
They took home the cash prize of RM15,000 while the runners-up received RM10,000.
Third and fourth were Sabah and Japan respectively and each pocketed RM5,000.
Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association (PSM) president Datuk Ahmad Ismail, Sarawak Sepak Takraw Association (PSS) president Dato Sri Abang Khalid Abang Marzuki, deputy president Datuk Abang Ismail Abang Saufi, Miri Sepaktakraw Association president Mohamad Udzair Mokhtar Khan, International Sepaktakraw Federation deputy secretary-general Yogender Singh Dahiya of India, council member Masaru Misawa, Miri district officer Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusuf were present at the closing ceremony.