MUKAH: Taekwondo exponents from Mukah made a clean sweep of the overall titles of the 2nd State-level Taekwondo Championship which ended on Sunday.
SMK Three Rivers taekwondo team took the Secondary School title featuring students aged 15 and 19 years old, while the primary school title (aged 9 and 12) title went to SJK Chong Boon.
Three Rivers emerged as overall champions after collecting 15 gold medals, 10 silvers and 15 bronze, while Chong Boon amassed 5 gold medal, 8 silvers and 16 bronze medals.
With the feat, the Mukah division sole Premier secondary school won the Sarawak Energy Challenge Cup, while Chong Boon, grabbed the Tellian Assemblyman, Yussibnosh Balo’s Challenge Cup.
First runners-up of the secondary school category was First Kick Tiger Club(Senior) who collected 6 gold medals, 2 silvers and 6 bronzes followed by SMK Kampung Nangka Sibu with 4 gold medals, 3 silvers and 6 bronze.
In the primary school category, second spot went to Kelab Tunas Mukah(Junior) with 5 gold medals, 4 silvers and 16 bronze while third place went to First Kick (Junior) who obtained 4 gold medals, 1 silver and 5 bronze.
Other teams in the senior category were MRSM Mukah, Sesok(senior), SMK Rosli Dhobi Sibu, Kelab Tunas Mukah (Senior) and SMK St Patrick.
The other teams for the junior category of the tournament dubbed as Self Defence for All kali were Sesok (Junior) and Home Kids.
The three-day championship held from March 31 to April 2 and held at SJK Chong Boon Open Hall was jointly organised by Kelab Taekwondo Tunas Mukah and Mukah Parliament Youth Organisation.
A co-curricular officer from Mukah District Education Office, Christopher Spencer, who represented Yussibnosh Balo gave away the prizes.
In his text of speech, Yussibnosh praised the organiser bring together the top local aekwondo exponents, including those from outside the division.
He said such extra curricular activity was very important for the overall performances of the students as it would be recorded in their report card. “Your involvement in co-curricular activities, not only in taekwondo lbut also others would be very helpful for the overall performance of the students. And I learn that the selection panel has named 31 exponents from this tournament to represent the state in the National Schools Championship and Sabah Open to be held from May 3 to 5. For those who are selected, they will be called up for the national event. Hence, it is advisable for the parents to encourage their children to be involved in co-curricular activities and not only focusing on academic achievements,” he said.
Among those present were Sarawak Global Taekwondo Association president, Abang Zaini Abang Fauzan, SJK Chong Boon Headmaster, Kok Liang Teck, SMK Three Rivers principal, Jackson Apong Ak Abit, tournament’s advisor, Zaidi Morshidi and teachers from the participating schools.
