 |
| Karim (sixth right, back row), Kameri (third right), Kwon (fifth right) and Sim (standing at left) posing with the best swimmers and team managers after the prize presentation. -Photo by Teo Chi Wei |
KUCHING: Assistant Minister of Youth, Sports and Solidarity Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah feels that organisers of swimming competitions should not harbour self interests but instead look at the wider picture for the sake of swimming development in Sarawak.
“I know some people are not very happy with me for interfering with how this tournament is being managed. I am very very sorry for that but I don’t have any interest … none of my children is competing in this tournament but I just want to see swimming to grow up and I don’t want to see politics inside swimming where some people are barred from competing just because they are not the affiliates.
“The pool is a place where the swimmers can compete among themselves and win because they have trained hard for it and not win by technical knockout,” he said at the closing of the 44th Sarawak Age Group Swimming Championship at the Sarawak Aquatic Centre, Petra Jaya yesterday.
“A lot of things has happened before the start of the competition and I have to congratulate Kota Samarahan Swimming Association (Kotas) especially its president Alice Kwon for a job well done.
“I know the organising committee had to face a lot of stress as it is organised during Chap Goh Meh especially those who are celebrating the Chinese New Year,” he added.
