Harden (centre), para athletes and officials cheer during the launch of the People with Disabilities Sports and Recreational Programme 2019-2020 yesterday.
KUCHING: An elite training centre for Sarawak’s para athletes will be set up in Kuching to train them for national competitions.
According to Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, athletes will be selected during scouting exercise and roadshows across all divisions till next year.
“We have to make early preparations to ensure that Sarawak will be able to retain the championship title in the Para Sukma Games,” she said in a speech read by Assistant Minister of Community Wellbeing Datuk Francis Harden Hollis during the launch of the People with Disabilities Sports and Recreational Programme 2019-2020 yesterday.
The elite training centre will enlist 20 athletes from each division who will be selected based on merit and trained under four coaches.
Sarawak won the overall title for the 13th consecutive time at the 2018 Para Sukma Games in Perak with a haul of 163 medals (61 gold, 62 silver and 40 bronze).
“So our state athletes with potential, please train well. Those who are selected from outside Kuching will be invited here and accommodation will be provided,” Fatimah said as she remarked on Sarawak’s ambition to retain the national title.
She also called on younger athletes to take over the reins from the senior athletes whom she said were more than willing to pass the baton.
Sarawak, she revealed, had a pool of 700 athletes in 2017, out of whom 100 were chosen to represent the state in the 2017 Sukan Sarawak (Suksar).
“Fifteen have succeeded to be listed in the Para Sukma Games in 2018. A few of them have managed to win medals despite it being their debut games at the national level,” she added.
Also present at yesterday’s event were the ministry’s permanent secretary Saadiah Ahmad and para athletes who received incentives for their excellent performance in the Perak Para Sukma Games.