KUCHING: The Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Ministry will be shifting its attention to two important sport events next year. Its minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said this after chairing the Sarawak Underprivileged Carnival (Kokus) Main Committee 2019 meeting in Baitulmakmur building in Petra Jaya yesterday.
“We will focus our attention on the 21st Malaysia Deaf Games (Sopma) and 20th Para Sukma Games at the national level next year.
“As the saying goes ‘when the going gets tough, the tough gets going’ — which refers to our quest to remain as champion of Para Sukma for the 14th time in Johor next year. It’s a record that all Sarawakians are very proud of,” she said.
According to her, in order to prepare the team for Para Sukma, the ministry will start with the team selection from the athletes participating in Kokus. “The ones identified based on merits will be starting their training in January 2020 until their competition in Johor in August 2020. This is a monumental task but we need to work hard for it.
“Deaf athletes are told to aim to be the champion. They missed it narrowly in the last Games by just a gold medal,” Fatimah said.
Both sports event will take place in Johor. The 21st Sopma is scheduled to be held on June 22 to 27 while the 20th Para Sukma will be held on August 16 to 22.