Abdul Karim (centre) performs the kick off to signal the start of the 5th edition of the Br Albinus Cup.
SIBU: Minister for Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has suggested that the Sibu Division Rugby Union (SDU) liaise with Sibu Land & Survey to identify a good piece of land to build a rugby field.
He acknowledged that SRDU is hungry for its own rugby field to carry out its activites aggressively.
“I would also like to see a proper rugby pitch in Sibu and will give all the assistance to build the rugby pitch once the land has been identified,” he said at the opening of the 5th edition of the Sibu 10-a-side Bro Albinus Cup here yesterday afternoon.
A record number of 34 teams are taking part in the three-day tournament divided into the Men’s Open, Ladies Open and Boys Under-18.
Among those present at yesterday’s event were Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) CEO Dr Ong Kong Swee, Ministry of Sport, Youth, Culture, Arts and Tourism permanent secretary Hii Chang Kee, SDRU patron Dato Sri Bartholomew Wong and president Jeffery Ting.
To show his commitment towards promoting the sport, the minister announced a grant of RM30,000 from his MRP fund and another RM10,000 from SSC for SDRU to organise its activities.
“I am aware that SDRU has been relying on the private sector for all these years which often hindered its effort to promote the sport here.
“With the financial contribution, I hope it will spur SDRU to work harder to bring the sport to greater glory.”
On the tournament, he was happy to note that it had attracted teams from afar such as Orca Navy which came all the way from Perak.
“Then, there are teams from Kuching, Miri and also from small towns like Saratok, Betong and Mukah, and all these speak volume on the popularity of the sport.”
He also observed that the standard has risen as indicated by the performance of both the Men’s and Women’s teams which recently qualified for the final of tournaments in Selangor and Perlis respectively.
“This simply reflect how strong our rugby teams are,” he remarked.
The minister also conveyed his love for the sport even though he himself was not a player.
“It is one sport which I often watch people playing during my school days at St Joseph.
“The sport looks robust but in rugby, there is seldom fighting or not that I know of. Other sports like football can see fighting sometimes but rugby is a unique sport, a truly gentleman sport played in a gentleman manner.”
Abdul Karim paid tribute to the LaSalle Brothers who, he said, played an instrumental role in bringing and popularising rugby in Sarawak.
“I may not be a student of SMK Sacred Heart but being a student of St Joseph, which also come under the influence of the LaSalle Brothers, my principal then was Br Columba as Br Albinus had just left for SMK Sacred Heart, and I also got influenced by him one way or another.”
The La Salle Brothers led Sacred Heart in Sibu and St Joseph’s in Kuching from the 1950s to 80s.
As a parallel to Sibu’s Br Albinus Cup, Kuching Rugby Club also organises the Br Columba Cup.