BY SARAH HAFIZAH CHANDRA & AWANG MUHAMMAD SYAHMI
KUCHING: The Sarawak government has expressed its appreciation for contributions from the private sector in advancing sports and nurturing athletes in the region.
Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah stressed the importance of support from the private sector in ensuring the growth of the sports industry.
“We are delighted with Pertama Ferroalloys Sdn Bhd’s commitment to supporting the development of young talents in badminton through the Sarawak Badminton Association (SBA).
“Their generous sponsorship of RM1.5mil is commendable, and we hope it will inspire other companies in the private sector to also extend their support,” the Sarawak Minister for Youth, Sport and Entrepreneur Development said.
“The development of sports cannot rely solely on the state government, as such, we urged the private sector to contribute and promote popular sports like badminton among the youth, enabling them to achieve greater heights.”
He made these remarks during the mock cheque presentation ceremony on Wednesday (July 5).
Regarding the progress of badminton in Sarawak, Abdul Karim noted that the sport has gained significant momentum in recent years.
“Over the past two years, badminton in Sarawak has witnessed remarkable growth. We have Sarawakians representing the national squad, and in the previous Malaysia Games (Sukma), we bagged bronze medals.”
He expressed optimism that with the support from the state government and the private sector, the development of badminton in Sarawak is on the right track. “As such, we hope for more podium finishes by Sarawakian athletes, especially in badminton.”
Sarawak is slated to host the Sukma Games scheduled to take place from Aug 17 to 24 next year.
