Ting: IPC decision on Para event a sad day for Sarawak

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Datuk Sebastian Ting

MIRI: The International Paralympic Committee (IPC)’s decision to strip Malaysia of the right to host the 2019 World Para Swimming Championship following the country’s ban on Israeli athletes is indeed a sad day for Sarawak, says Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting.

In a press statement yesterday, Ting opined that sports should not be entangled with politics as they are two different things that should not be mixed together at all.

“The championships, a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, scheduled for Kuching between July 29 and Aug 4 should have been a big boost for Sarawak in terms of tourism.

“When Malaysia was awarded the championships in 2017, the IPC had been given assurances that all eligible athletes and countries would be allowed to participate with their safety assured.

“But, there has been a change of political leadership and the new Malaysian government has different ideas,” said Ting.

As Malaysia, he added, is a majority-Muslim country that does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, barring Israeli athletes is indeed more of a political decision than a sports decision.

“In Sarawak, we must show to the outside world that we are not like that. We are genuinely living in harmony with so many different races and religions as a big family.

“This is truly a sad case of us not being able to show to them that we are ‘different’ from what was assumed by the outside world now that we are stripped from playing host,” said Ting.

The decision by IPC came on Sunday following Malaysian government’s decision to ban Israeli athletes to the 2019 World Para Swimming Championship.

Around 600 swimmers from 60 countries had been expected to compete in the championships in Kuching, the eastern part of Sarawak, with more than 160 titles to be won.