Sarawak plans trip to study Thailand's SEA Games operations ahead of 2027 hosting, says state minister
KUCHING, May 27 — As co-host of the 2027 SEA Games, Sarawak plans a benchmarking visit to Thailand — the host of the 2025 SEA Games — to study the live operations of the major sporting event.
Sarawak Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the visit was important to ensure a world-class delivery when the state hosts the biennial multi-sport Games in 2027.
'The knowledge gained will help us refine our strategies for 2027. Ultimately, the SEA Games will not only inspire future athletes but will also position Kuching as a central hub for international sports in Southeast Asia, marking Sarawak's bold stride onto the global stage,' he said in his winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly here today.
The 33rd edition of the Southeast Asian Games is scheduled to be held in Thailand from Dec 9-20.
On March 28, Abdul Karim reportedly said that Sarawak expects to host 18 events during the 2027 SEA Games, including bowling, swimming, diving, cricket, taekwondo, archery and shooting.
Abdul Karim said his ministry is overseeing 87 sports facilities statewide, with 25 new projects being developed under initiatives such as the Projek Rakyat and the Development Agency Projects and Programmes (DAPP).
'These facilities are being upgraded and modernised to meet national and international standards, fulfil requirements for hosting international tournaments, enhance competitiveness and increase their appeal to today's youth,' he said.
He added that in a bid to strengthen Sarawak's competitive edge, the Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) is refining its development strategy by focusing on 14 high-potential sports with strong medal prospects.
They are golf, taekwondo, bowling, aquatics (swimming and diving), boxing, muay Thai, athletics, archery, silat, squash, volleyball, artistic gymnastics, wushu and lawn bowls.
'This targeted approach reflects a strategic restructuring of the state's sports development programmes, aimed at raising these key disciplines to new levels of excellence and performance,' he added. — Bernama
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Kuching marathon to showcase capital's colonial and cultural charm
THE 10th edition of the Kuching Marathon (KM2025), scheduled for Sept 21, will offer participants an illuminating journey through Kuching's rich cultural and colonial heritage. Sarawak Youth, Sports and Enterpreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said KM2025 aims to strengthen Kuching's presence on the world map by promoting the city as a hub for sports, recreation and tourism, while fostering a healthy lifestyle. 'Among the highlights of this year's edition is the improved 42km full marathon race route, offering runners a more scenic course. 'For the first time, all participants who complete their race within the cut-off time, including those in the 10km and 5km categories, will receive a finisher's T-shirt. 'This is in addition to the event T-shirt and a specially designed finisher's medal,' he told Bernama. Abdul Karim said to date, KM2025 has attracted a total of 7,822 registered runners, comprising 6,719 Malaysians and 1,103 international participants. He added that most of the local runners are from Sarawak, while foreign participants hail from countries like Brunei, Canada, China, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, the Maldives, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and the United Kingdom. KM2025 is a distance running road race event consisting of Kuching Full Marathon (42km), Kuching Half Marathon (21km), Kuching 10km run and Kuching 5km run. It is an international road race recognised by Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) as listed in the AIMS Race Calendar at
Free Malaysia Today
6 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Sze Fei-Izzuddin survive early scare in Indonesia Open
World No 1 men's doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani took an hour to see off their Taiwanese rivals in the opening round of the Indonesia Open. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : World No 1 men's doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani overcame an early scare to defeat Taiwan's Lee Fang Chih-Lee Fang Jen in the opening round of the Indonesia Open. The 19th ranked Taiwanese twins had shocked the top seeds by taking the first game, before the Malaysians made a comeback to win 17-21, 21-17, 21-14 at the Istora Stadium in Jakarta tonight. Sze Fei-Izzuddin had to labour for an hour before they sealed the match and booked their berth in the last 16. The Malaysians have faced setback after setback this year, failing to get past the quarter-final stage in various tournaments, including two first-round exits. The duo won three World Tour titles in 2023 and another three in 2024, but have not won a single one this year. Today's tie was Sze Fei-Izzuddin's seventh time facing the Taiwanese pair, with the Malaysians winning six of the encounters. In the last 16, Sze Fei-Izzuddin will take on their world No 22 compatriots Nur Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong, who staged an upset by beating the No 14 ranked Chinese duo of Xie Hao Nan-Zeng Wei Han 21-17, 21-12. Fellow men's doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun also progressed to the last 16 after making light work of American duo Chen Zhi Yi-Presley Smith, winning 21-6, 21-11 in just 21 minutes. The Malaysians will meet compatriots Junaidi Arif-Yap Roy King, who received a walkover from French pair Eloi Adam-Leo Rossi.
The Star
11 hours ago
- The Star
Swimming-World Aquatics adopts bylaw to stop doping enablers amid Enhanced Games furore
FILE PHOTO: Swimming - European Aquatics Championships - Sports and Recreational Center Milan Gale Muskatirovic, Belgrade, Serbia - June 23, 2024 Gold medallist, Greece's Kristian Gkolomeev poses with his medal on the podium after winning the men's 50m freestyle final REUTERS/Novak Djurovic/File Photo (Reuters) -World Aquatics introduced a new bylaw on Tuesday that will prevent any athlete or official who supports or endorses doping from competing or holding any positions after a Greek swimmer supported by the Enhanced Games 'broke' the world record. With the help of the controversial programme, Greece's Kristian Gkolomeev swam the men's 50 metres freestyle in 20.89 seconds to shave 0.02 seconds off the long-standing record set by Brazil's Cesar Cielo in 2009. Gkolomeev, who has competed at four Olympics and came fifth in the event at the Paris Games last year with a time of 21.59 seconds, said he had gained "an extra 10 pounds of muscle" before the attempt. Enhanced Games had declined to disclose which "performance enhancements" the 31-year-old used. "Individuals who support, endorse, or participate in sporting events that embrace the use of scientific advancements or other practices ... will not be eligible to hold positions with World Aquatics or to participate in any World Aquatics competitions, events, or other activities," World Aquatics said. The practices can include either prohibited substances or prohibited methods. "This ineligibility would apply to roles such as athlete, coach, team official, administrator, medical support staff, or government representative," the governing body added. The Enhanced Games operate under the principle that banning performance-enhancing drugs in major competitions does not protect athletes but rather stifles their performance, and called on athletes to join the competition. The World Anti-Doping Agency had condemned the Enhanced Games as "dangerous and irresponsible", while Olympic 50 metres freestyle champion Cam McEvoy said Gkolomeev's time was 'irrelevant' to the sport. "Those who enable doped sport are not welcome at World Aquatics or our events," World Aquatics president Husain Al Musallam said. "This new bylaw ensures that we can continue to protect the integrity of our competitions, the health and safety of our athletes, and the credibility of the global aquatics community." The Enhanced Games have set their inaugural competition for May 2026 in Las Vegas, with swimming, athletics and weightlifting on the agenda. (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
