| James Kon |
AS SELECTED national athletes for the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Perak, Malaysia, the goal is to compete whole-heartedly in the sporting event not merely for exposure but to be competitive and have a strong desire to succeed.
Therefore, the national athletes must believe and be confident that they can do it because they are the best athletes in the country.
This was said by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin in his motivational speech at the flag handing over ceremony to the Brunei Darussalam’s contingent for the 19th Sukma which will take place in Perak from September 12 to 22.
Also present were Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Datin Paduka Dr Hajah Norlila binti Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Jalil; members of the national assessment and selection committee; parents of the athletes; and senior officials from the ministry.
This year, Brunei Darussalam will be sending a contingent comprising 34 athletes and 21 officers to the 19th Sukma to compete in nine sporting events, namely lawn bowling, cycling, sailing, athletic, pencak silat, taekwondo, 10-pin bowling, karate do and wushu.
The minister also reminded the athletes to be disciplined and have sportsmanship to maintain the good reputation and image of the nation in the hope of winning. This, he said, will require strong physical and mental strength as well as being able to withstand stress.
He said, “Fly the Brunei Darussalam national flag with pride and patriotism in Perak. Show that we are the best in skills, etiquette and professionalism. Always follow the rule and regulation especially in anti-doping and do not do anything that can affect the image of the country. It is important to uphold the Bruneian values and culture which is unique and beautiful that must be appreciated, practised and be proud of at all times.”
Acting Director of Youth and Sports Haji Zafri bin Haji Mohamed in his speech said, “In preparation for Sukma, the selected athletes have been continuously training since last year to make sure they can reach quality achievement and satisfactory performance. There are also some athletes who are part of the contingent in the Brunei Darussalam National Games (SKBD). With the thorough preparation and competition, the SKBD has become an intensive training platform.”
Following both speeches, Chef de Mission of the Brunei contingent for Sukma 2018 Hajah Noor Maslina binti Haji Sulaiman received the national flag from the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.
Sukma is organised by the Malaysia Sports Council, Malaysia Olympic Council as well as national sports association with the Perak sports council as the host.
The Brunei contingent will be leaving the country in stages commencing from today.