Sarawak to host two international sporting events in 2019

October 14, 2017

Abdul Karim (third right), Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports Datuk Snowdan Lawan (third left) and Sarawak Sports Corporation chief executive officer Dr Ong Kong Swee (second right) hold the Asia Masters Athletic Championship flag at the press conference yesterday.

KUCHING: Sarawak is preparing to host two international sporting events in 2019.

According to Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah the two events are the 21st Asia Masters Athletic Championship and the World Paralympic Swimming Championship.

“We are glad that Sarawak has been given the opportunity to organise these two prestigious sporting events. Preparation to organise these two events starts now,” he added during a press conference held at a local hotel yesterday.

He revealed that Sarawak (whose delegates represented Malaysia) had won the bid to host the 21st Asia Masters Athletic Championship against the likes of India and Indonesia.

Abdul Karim thus thanked the state officials for doing a good job in ensuring that the event will take place in Sarawak in about two years from now.

Around 2,000 athletes from 30 countries are expected to take part in the 21st Asia Masters Athletic Championship.

“Organising this event is good for Sarawak’s tourism industry as these athletes who are in the masters’ category are mostly family people. They might bring along their family to Sarawak when they participate in competitions during the time,” he said.

As for the World Paralympic Swimming Championship, he anticipates that the event will also attract a lot of participants from all around the world as they might use the championship as a platform for warm-up to the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.

It will also be the first time that Sarawak hosts a sporting event with swimmers from around 80 countries participating.

Meanwhile Abdul Karim also assured that Sarawak is more than capable in organising the two international events in a year as the state have the facilities and the experience in organising international sporting events.

“We have organised a few international sporting tournaments before this and I am sure we are ready to host the two events. We also do our best in preparing for the two events in 2019,” he commented.

Apart from that, he also revealed that a special management committee for both competitions, involving the private sector would be formed so that the expenses of organising both tournaments would not be incurred by the government alone.

The World Paralympic Swimming Championship is expected to be held sometime in July or August 2019 while the 21st Asia Masters Athletics is expected to be held in December, 2019. Venues for both competitions are expected to be in Kuching as the state capital have all the facilities and capability to organise international sporting events. -TheBorneoPost