Enthralling inaugural school’s land sport

I recall with nostalgia the enthusiastic and most of all, curious faces of the Nanga Assam School community, both students and parents in June, 1962.

No, not for Gawai Dayak, as such fest was still in the wilderness and was yet to be known, but I am referring to the inaugural school land sport that came with a concert — it was the birth year of the school, my alma mater (I was registered as its student number 7).

There is no record of the date when the occasion was held but prior to the land sport, a cockfight (done the traditional way betinggang, namely if you are from downriver, you can only support the side from your area and vice-versa if you are from upriver).

Dad, then aged 52, was the ‘tuai sabung’ with the prerequisite that he must own the first gamecock to get the ball rolling — I remember the entaruh (bet) for the first fight was RM10 and dad’s rooster won hands down.

He also announced at the fighting pit about the land sports/inter-schools meet the next day and a concert at night.

All were firsts for the Melupa basin and its eight longhouses that were reachable either on foot (via jungle trek) or by river transport. But in the cockfighting pit, there were punters from other areas in middle and lower Krian who were encouraged to spread news about the first land sports and concert of Nanga Assam.

Other primary schools invited to the meet were Nanga Drau School in upper middle Krian and Tanduk School in Kerangan (lower Krian). Both were reachable by longboat.

It was certainly a busy day with hives of activities on the first day of the inter-school sports meet between the three schools. Tanduk was the earliest to be established while Nanga Drau came into being many years earlier than Nanga Assam.

I was busy assisting my parents with their roofed stall selling nasi campur (just rice and curry chicken, cooked ala longhouse) as well as suntung palu (pounded dried squid), boiled eggs and ai manis. The first land sport day was a blur as I was a good helper to mom and dad (my elder brother Jon, 14, was a participating athlete and sapu (won) most of the track ‘silver cups’ (a much-revered prize).

But it was the second sports day, just meant for our own students (those who didn’t win medal and those who didn’t compete on the first day) — and most interestingly for parents too — that became inerasable from my memory. I didn’t compete but enjoyed laughing at the antics of those who competed among friends and relatives for parents and among classmates for Nanga Assam boys and girls, many of whom were in their early teens.

My eldest brother Edward Jelani, 20, was eager to show how shot put should be thrown (the Olympic way) but hit the class wooden window once and only managed a third place, losing to our granduncle Saa, 60, (father-in-law of uncle Gawing Narang, mom’s youngest sibling), in first place and another uncle Awi Masing in second. Both of these two just threw the shot the ulu way.

Uncle Gawing and our cousin-in-law Berayun Encharang (both from Sarawak Shell Berhad, Miri) were also in attendance as both were on leave. But it was Berayun who took part in the javelin throw — using a specially crafted and sharpened bamboo rod.

I can never forget the moment when Berayun’s first throw landed way beyond the school field, into the adjacent rubber garden. Luckily, it didn’t hit anyone in the neighbouring woods.

A helper needed to look for the javelin and found it about 30 metres into the woods. Berayun didn’t make a second throw because the first one was already a winner.

Another interesting episode was when an auntie took part in the football kicking contest — she kicked very well and won but at the expense of a little bit of modesty because after kicking the ball, her sarong fell down, exposing a bright undergarment.

On concert night after the first day of the inter-schools meet, Nanga Assam School was a picture of celebration and grandeur with its bright lights provided by various kerosene lamps.

It was a good turnout and my parents’ stall really profited well despite selling each plate of curry rice just for a dollar (not ringgit yet as Malaysia wasn’t born).

In the acting scene, Jon played as Dana nicknamed ‘Bayang’ in the play about the legendary Iban war hero. Yours truly debuted on stage with Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star unaccompanied. I was aged eight.

All were laughing when a granduncle Jerampang Saat could only pronounce ‘concert’ as kunchit (which refers to a rooster with black feathers).