| Fadhil Yunus |
A total of 3,556 participants involving athletes, officials and coaches as well as 12 competing contingents converged at the opening ceremony of the 4th Brunei Darussalam National Games (SKBD) at the Balapan Track and Field of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex yesterday.
The guest of honour at the event was the Deputy Minister of Energy, Manpower and Industry Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Matsatejo bin Sokiaw.
Also present were Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Datin Paduka Dr Hajah Norlila binti Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Jalil in her capacity as the Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the 4th Brunei Darussalam National Games 2018; Legislative Council members; permanent secretaries; deputy permanent secretaries; presidents and secretary-generals of national sporting associations as well as officers and staff in the government.
The event commenced with the march-past of the contingents taking part in the 4th SKBD led by the marching band of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, followed by the bearers of the Brunei Darussalam flag and the SKBD logo comprising National Service Programme trainees.
The contingents included the Brunei-Muara District, Belait District; Tutong District, Temburong District; Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports Council (MS ABDB); Royal Brunei Police Force Sports Council (MS PDB); Brunei Darussalam Sports School Council (MSSSBD); Higher Education Institutions (UBD, UTB, UNISSA, BICPA, Politeknik Brunei, KUPU SB, KIGS, Cosmopolitan College, Micronet, Laksamana College of Business and IBTE); Combined Telecommunication Companies (AITI, TelBru, DST and PCSB); Brunei Shell Joint Venture (BSJV) Companies; Royal Brunei Airlines and the Brunei Association of Banks. The march-past also saw technical officials and tournament judges from associations of national sports.
The event was followed with a welcoming remark by Datin Paduka Dr Hajah Norlila and continued with an address and the launching of the Brunei Darussalam National Games by the guest of honour.
“This is the fourth Brunei Darussalam National Games and it fittingly coincides with one of the sporting objectives to provide a platform to select qualified athletes to represent the country in the regional or international level towards building and advancing the level and performance of
athletes in Brunei Darussalam, with the participation of athletes from across the country through contingents,” said Datin Paduka Dr Hajah Norlila in her welcoming address.
Shortly after, the hoisting of the SKBD flag was witnessed by four athletes who have succeeded in bringing a good name to the
country in the Southeast Asian Games and international competitions, namely pencak silat athletes Shahril bin Haji Mayalin and Irwan bin Haji Ibrahim; and athletes in athletics Arman bin Haji Sanip and Lim Chee Wee.
The event continued with the reading of the oath for sports led by Norleyermah binti Haji Raya, a pencak silat athlete who won silver in the women’s artistic singles event in Thailand in 2007, bronze medallist in the women’s singles and team event in the 26th SEA Games, Palembang, Indonesia in 2011. She also clinched bronze in the women’s singles event in the 27th SEA Games in Myanmar in 2013 and silver in the 29th SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur in 2017. Norleyermah will represent the Belait District contingent in this year’s Brunei Darussalam National Games.
Meanwhile, the reading of the oath for technical officials was led by Haji Sayed Jefferydean bin Haji Sayed Mohammad, a jury for karatedo who received accreditation from the World Karatedo Federation. He represented Brunei Darussalam as a competition jury at the 18th Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia in 2018.
The guest of honour was then introduced to leaders of the contingents.
The ceremony was further enlivened with tug-of-war matches in Category (70kg individual) and Category B (1100kg group) between the Belait District contingent and the MS ABDB contingent.
A total of 31 sports are contested in the SKBD which will be governed in accordance to rules and regulations passed by the associations and federations of national sports which are in relations to international regulations.
The sports that will be contested are badminton, cycling, netball, basketball, football, futsal, volleyball, lawn bowl, chess, dart, top spin, golf, hockey, karate, kayak, cue sports, fencing, boat racing, athletics, pencak silat, table tennis, rugby, swimming, sepak takraw, shorinji kempo, squash, taekwondo, tug-of-war, ten-pin bowling and wushu.
A total of 937 medals are on offer for the athletes comprising 281 gold medals, 281 silver medals and 375 bronze medals.