KUCHING: Sarawak are targeting to bring home two gold medals from the 21st Malaysia Games (SUKMA), with high hopes resting on the women’s doubles and team events.
Head coach Arvin Tabil Jurao was confident of the team’s potential following an intensive training regime, including a stint in South Korea from July 21 to Aug 3.
“We believe we have a strong chance of securing one or two gold medals,” Arvin said during a press conference after the opening ceremony of the SUKMA tennis event at the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) court today.
The team’s rigorous preparation, coupled with ongoing training since their return from South Korea, has bolstered their readiness, according to Arvin.
He stressed the importance of both mental and physical preparedness in tennis, expressing optimism about the team’s prospects.
Asked about the team’s main rivals, Arvin identified Perak, Wilayah Persekutuan, and Selangor as strong contenders.
Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah also conveyed high expectations for the Sarawak tennis team.
“We have high hopes for every sport we participate in,” he said, noting that Sarawak is also competing in new sports such as fencing, sailing, and kabaddi.
He said while many tennis players are still in the development phase, the current squad are being groomed for future competitions.
“Some of our previous top players have aged out of SUKMA eligibility. The athletes we have now are new talents being developed not just for this SUKMA, but for future Games as well,” he added.
The tennis competition at SUKMA 2024 features 14 contingents, with Sarawak represented by a 12-member squad comprising six boys and six girls. While all contingents will compete in individual events, only nine teams, including Sarawak, are participating in the mixed team event.
The mixed team competition begins today and runs until Aug 19, with individual events scheduled from Aug 18 to 22. The tournament will include five events: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.
Among those present at the opening ceremony were Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu, who is also SUKMA Sarawak’s chef de mission; Deputy Minister of Transport Datuk Henry Harry Jinep; Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Kuching Xing Weiping; Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia president Mirzan Tun Mahathir; and SLTA president Datuk Patrick Liew.
