KUCHING, Dec 6: Over 200 players representing 15 clubs from Kuching, Miri, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor battled it out in the first-ever Sarawak Open Dodgeball Tournament held at the Sports Arena on Dec 2 and 3.
Organised by Kuching Dodgeball Association (KDA) in collaboration with Curtin Grizzlies Dodgeball Club, the event was aimed at introducing talents and clubs in East Malaysia to the dodgeball scene, to promote the sport and to foster healthy rivalry among players from different clubs.
The ‘Come For Sarawak Laksa’ team emerged victorious in an intense competition against ‘Alpha Quebec’, securing the championship title, along with a cash prize of RM1,500, trophies, and medals in celebration of their hard-fought triumph.
Ooi Kah Heng, displaying calm and effective leadership on the court, led his team to victory.
Khew Jim Kai and Ong Su Jun were honoured as the Most Valuable Players (MVP) in the male and female categories, respectively.
In a media release today, Sarawak Dodgeball Association president Awg Zaifulizan Abdul Rahman Awg Mohd said the tournament was a great platform for the dodgeball community to gather while promoting dodgeball in the region.
“I’m excited to see clubs from all parts of Malaysia and also clubs from Singapore participating in the tournament. I hope to see more clubs participating in the near future,” he said.
Awg Zaifulizan highlighted the tournament’s role in addressing Sarawak’s resource limitations for player development as he believed it would contribute to the advancement of sports in the region, particularly in dodgeball.
“I’m proud of my community and glad they were able to showcase how true Sarawakian hospitality is like,” he added.
Partnering with KDA, Curtin Grizzlies Dodgeball Club played an important part in organising the tournament due to their years of experience when it comes to dodgeball in Sarawak.
Club president Elizabeth Juro Francis Makam expressed excitement about showcasing the improvements made by Curtin Grizzlies Dodgeball Club and Olympus Dodgeball Club since the pandemic.
“We enjoyed our time competing with players coming in from West Malaysia and even Singapore during the tournament,” she added.
One of KDA’s rising stars, 17-year-old rising Allister Ethan Protasi who is the captain of the Tsutsuji Tsunami team, emphasised the potential for Kuching youths to excel in dodgeball with more time and exposure.
“My expectation of dodgeball in Kuching is that slowly but surely it’ll get more known in schools and universities. Kuching dodgeball started just last year and we’ve already held events that brought in players from KL, Penang, Miri and even Singapore. So in the future, dodgeball in Kuching will be huge,” he said.
Wolf Dodgeball Club president Thomas Lee Han Shien expressed optimism about the development of Sarawak dodgeball players, hoping for increased participations in future competitions to gain more experience to improve team synergy.
Artemis team captain Chan shi Ying added: “It was a good experience for us to come over to Sarawak and compete against the other teams from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Miri and of course Kuching. We hope to come here often and play against the players in Sarawak.”
Kuching Dodgeball Association (KDA) president Darren Robin was among those present.
For those interested in learning dodgeball, they contact Kuching Dodgeball Association’s secretary at 013-7173471 or register online here. Kuching Dodgeball drop-in sessions are scheduled on Tuesday 8pm-10pm and Saturday 6pm-8pm. — DayakDaily
