Abdul Karim (centre) seen speaking to a staff on duty at the Stadium Perpaduan which is currently being used as a Covid-19 vaccination centre today. Also seen is Snowdan (left).- Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (June 28): Sarawak is presently the first state in the country to undertake the initiative to provide Covid-19 vaccination for the state athletes and their elite coaches, said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Abdul Karim said this is done as part of the state’s strategy and plan to get the state’s athletes to be well protected from Covid-19 as well as to ensure that their training and preparations are according to the schedule.
“For the record, our athletes are still required to comply with the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) while undergoing their training and preparations,” he said during a press conference held at the Stadium Perpaduan here today.
His ministry had recently written to the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to request for the state athletes and their coaches to be given priority to receive the Covid-19 vaccination and the letter was submitted to the committee by Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) chief executive officer Dr Ong Kong Swee
Abdul Karim also said that in the process of applying for their vaccinations, members of public should know that the Ministry of Youth and Sports Sarawak through the Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) had complied with the necessary official procedures and compliances to get the athletes vaccinated.
Hence, he said there is no issue of the state athletes and their officials ‘jumping queue’ or getting preferred treatment in getting their vaccinations.
“The state government through my ministry and SSC is determined and serious in facilitating the training and preparations of our state athletes who will be spearheading our challenges in the national and international sports arena,
“They deserve the opportunity to get the proper training and preparations because their time, efforts and energy had been invested to bring honour and glory for Sarawak and Malaysia,” he added.
Among the athletes given priority for vaccination are the ones who will be competing in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Johor next year.
A total of 808 athletes who will be competing in 31 different sports and games, their coaches and state contingent officials who are scheduled to be going to next year’s Sukma.
Abdul Karim together with Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Snowdan Lawan and Ong took time to watch the athletes get their vaccinations after the press conference.
“Today, we will be witnessing the first phase of the vaccinations for our athletes and coaches whereby 154 of them together with 41 of our elite coaches are getting their first jabs. The ones we have today here at the Stadium Perpaduan are from Kuching and Samarahan i.e Southern Zone,”
“Those from the Northern and Central Zone will also be receiving them very soon at the designated PPVs in their respective divisions,” said Abdul Karim.
Following the vaccination of the state athletes, he would like to thank SDMC, Ministry of Health and the state government for helping and allowing the state athletes to get their vaccinations.
He thus hope the vaccinations will boost the morale of the state athletes and their coaches, while motivating them to continue training even harder.
The state government had invested millions of ringgit in numerous sports facilities and building stadiums throughout the state so that the people of Sarawak especially the younger generation can become future world champions.
Meanwhile Abdul Karim also pointed out that the vaccination of the state’s athletes is yet another of the state government’s initiative in achieving herd immunity against Covid-19.
“Together we can achieve it. We thus call on to the general public to continue supporting the state government’s efforts in keeping our people safe and sound. The task may be arduous but together, we can defeat Covid-19 from spreading and to try our best to gradually make our lives back to normal again,” he said.