Great expectations: Sarawak’s 20 all set for KPM Wushu Championship in Penang

November 16, 2016

Karim (seventh right) and WFS officials gesture as the assistant minister hands over the state colours to Tiong (fifth right).

KUCHING: The Sarawak team are expected to do well in the Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia (KPM) Wushu Championship at Han Chiang High School in Penang from Nov 18-20.

None other than Assistant Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah expressed this confidence when he met the young athletes set to perform in the national junior meet that was revived after two years.

Karim having a light moment with some of the wushu exponents.

“Looking at the way that the athletes perform, I am very sure they can bring back a lot of “good things” for the state. They are very young, look so confident and so professional with their performance,” he said at the State Elite Training Centre at Kota Sentosa Sports Centre on Monday evening.

Accompanied by Wushu Federation of Sarawak (WFS) president Allen Wong, deputy president James Ting and other officials, Karim also watched the young athletes in action during a training session.

The wushu exponents listen attentively to Karim.

Karim, also Assistant Housing Minister, said he was impressed by the young athletes who did not look jittery when executing their routines.

“Personally, I am very impressed by what I have seen tonight. If these are the kind of athletes that we have been grooming, I believe wushu in Sarawak and even Malaysia can go a long way.”

VICTORY IS OURS!!!

He also highlighted the commitment of WFS coaches and officials.

“We got so many dedicated officials who are looking after Wushu Federation of Sarawak and training these young kids.

“I can see that they are so passionate with the kids, some of whom are from Miri and some from Sibu. I understand that the coach Ling is looking after the kids very well and that she even cooks for them and treats them as if they were her own children,” said Karim.

“When you get to that level of an official looking after the kids, you can see that they are passionate about the sport and making sure that the kids get the right things.”

“If every sport can have this kind of people, I am very very sure that Sarawak will not have any problem of becoming champions,” he added.

“We are trying as much as possible to get the other sports to have very committed officials as well as sponsors,” he said.

Sarawak are sending 20 athletes to Penang. The team is managed by Tiong Yong Hee and coached by Ling Ung Hee and Lau Hui Wei.

KPM Wushu Championship is the only national wushu championship sanctioned by Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia and organised by Wushu Federation of Malaysia.