KUCHING: The final official training session for the 21st Malaysia Games (SUKMA) bowling event concluded today, August 14, marking the culmination of a month and a half of dedicated preparation by the Sarawak women’s and men’s bowling teams.
The head coach for both teams, Angelo Koay expressed optimism as the teams gear up for tomorrow’s singles competition, noting the hard work and positive momentum displayed by the athletes.
“We are pretty much ready, it’s all about tomorrow starting with the singles category.
“From the morning session, the women’s team showed a positive outlook as they’ve been responding well towards training and preparation, our equipment looks fine, and our tactical plan looks exactly like how we planned, as long as our athletes come tomorrow and compete like how they trained, we will be excellent,” he expressed.
He highlighted Selangor, Johor, and Sabah as the most formidable opponents in the women’s category, acknowledging the significant progress these teams have made through years of focused training.
“There are a few tough competitors for the women’s side like Selangor, Johor, Sabah, and a lot of others because they have bowlers who have improved over the many eyars of training,” he said.
On the men’s side, Penang and the Federal Territory are expected to be the toughest competitors, Sarawak’s team is determined to secure as many gold medals as possible.
“We are aiming for gold, to get as many gold medals as we can because this would be a testament to the athletes for their efforts and sacrifices of their hard work and training,” he said.
Bowling, a target sport where players roll a ball towards pins, presents unique challenges.
“Bowling is very different, yet similar to other sports, but the biggest challenge to the athletes has to be themselves. Whether or not they believe in themselves will make a key difference in winning a gold medal or not,” he highlighted.
This year’s competition features a full roster from every state, with 84 Malaysian men and women competing, including six bowlers from each state.
Angelo encouraged his team to focus on the process rather than the results, urging them to savor the experience.
“To the Sarawak team, do your best, and most importantly don’t think about the result, think about the process. Keep focus, enjoy the moment, enjoy SUKMA, and have lots of fun.
“For the rest of the Sarawak athletes, I wish you all the best, Agi Idup, Agi Ngelaban!” he encouraged.
