The state gymnasts with Wee (centre), Bogamil and Gergana. – Photo by Teo Chi Wei
KUCHING: The Sarawak junior gymnasts produced one of the best performances in the National Artistic Gymnastics Championship at Gymnasium 3, Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur from Nov 23 to 25.
The seven-member team guided by coaches Bogamil Ivanov Momchilov and Gergana Momchilova brought home nine gold, eight silver and three bronze medals which were won in the Pre-Junior (10-12 years old) and Junior (13-15 years) categories that were participated by 37 gymnasts from Penang, Sarawak, Selangor, Sabah, Melaka, Pahang and Perak.
Representing Sarawak in the Pre-Junior were Damya Dameerah Suhaimi (SK Gita), Alya Sofiya Abdul Razak (SK Rakyat), Annabelle Andy Intana (SK Batu Lintang), Audi Zulkarnian (SK St Mary) and Nur Qurratu Aini Norasharudin (SK Muara Tuang) while competing in the Junior category were Audrey Jude Rendih Alexander (SMK St Mary) and Cassandra Lavigne Shelden (SMK Kuching High).
Accompanying the team was Sukma gymnast Esmelda Arecia Menti Alfred Geling, who was one of the judges at the meet.
The gold medals were delivered by the WAG team, Damya (all-round, balance beam), Nur Quarratu (vault), Alya Sofiya (floor exercise) Cassandra (all-round, uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise) while the contributors of silver medals were Alya Sofiya (all-round, uneven bars, balance beam), Damya (floor exercise), Audrey Jude (all-round, vault, balance beam), Cassandra (floor exercise).
Bronze medallists are Audi (vault), Damya (uneven bars) Annabelle (floor exercise) and Audrey Jude (uneven bars).
Sarawak Amateur Gymnastics Association (SAGYMA) president Helena Christine Wee expressed her satisfaction with the state team’s performance and congratulated the gymnasts and coaches for the consistent performance and maintaining their standard over the years.
“This is a very good achievement for Sarawak when compared to the previous two years where we won five gold, four silver and two bronze in 2016 and three gold, four silver and four bronze last year,” she said.
“On behalf of SSGYMA, I would like to again thank the Sarawak Sports Corporation, Sarawak State Sports Council and coordinator for gymnastics Dedia Sereni Ahmad and all those who have given their support and cooperation to us all this while,” she added.