Karen Leong Wai Si
KUCHING (Oct 31): Sarawak will be sending a big team to compete in the National Shooting Championships at the National Shooting Range in Subang, Kuala Lumpur from December 7 to 12.
State head coach Karen Leong Wai Si said the national tournament will be a good exposure for state elite shooters who are preparing for the 20th Sukan Malaysia (Sukma) in Kuala Lumpur next year.
“This will be the first competition outside the state this year and l am hoping that the state shooters who have been entered for 14 events can do well and also gain valuable experience from the meet.
“All the shooters (10 male, 10 female) will be out to prove their worth at the national event and 20 of them will be shortlisted in the Sarawak Shooting team for Sukma Kuala Lumpur 2022 organised by the National Sports Council,?she added.
According to Karen, the competition for slots in the state Sukma squad will be quite keen as there are now 40 shooters in the state elite programme.
“We also have 60 shooters in the development squad and those selected to go for the national meet are based on their monthly performance evaluation.
“We are also looking at developing a bigger pool of shooters through the Sarawak Sports Corporation Sarawak Shooting Squad Recruitment and Retention Programme that will commence soon,” she added.
She is also looking at developing a strong team for Sukma 2024 which is expected to be hosted by Johor.
“Nothing is impossible to groom calibre shooters in three years if the selected candidates train with determination, commitment, dedication and discipline.
“You Plan, you Dream and you Reach. There will be obstacles but with hard work, belief, confidence and trust, there are no limits to achieve it,” said Karen.