Hasbi (front seventh left) is seen during a photo call for the opening ceremony.
LIMBANG: The Limbang International Open Tug of War Championship, which has been running for over 10 years, is a 5-star championship as it has attracted entries from across the country, says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
He pointed out that the Malaysian Tug of War Association gave the recognition to the competition last year.
“Being an event synonymous with Limbang Division, more efforts need to be made to make this championship bigger in the future as it has been included in the Sarawak Tourism Calendar,” he said in a speech, which was read by Limbang member of parliament Hasbi Habibollah, for the opening of the competition yesterday.
Awang Tengah pointed out that the championship was the brainchild of Assistant Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail. He called on local participants to practise a high standard of sportsmanship and be role models for teams from outside Limbang.
“Demonstrate your ability in the tug of war sport and use it as a platform to gain as much experience as possible,” he said.
He called for clinics to be held for school children and youths to nurture interest in the sport and scout for new talents.
“Participation of teams from outside Limbang augurs well in exposing the local teams,” he said, adding that it is not impossible for Limbang to one day be a powerhouse for the sport nationwide.
A total of 27 teams across Malaysia and Brunei are participating in the tournament. The champion will receive RM15,000 and the Sarawak Chief Minister’s Challenge Trophy.
Those placed second to fourth would receive RM8,000, RM6,000, and RM4,000 respectively.
There are also consolation prizes of RM500 each for teams placed fifth to eighth.