By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, Aug 28: Sarawak’s triumph as the overall champion of the 21st Malaysia Games (Sukma) was no stroke of luck but the culmination of meticulous planning, strategic execution, and a clear vision, says Sarawak Sukma Chef de Mission Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu.
Reflecting on the achievement, Rentap explained that the 70-gold medal target was carefully calculated and not an arbitrary figure.
The plan involved setting daily targets to ensure that Sarawak remained competitive throughout the Games.
“We set a daily target and we achieved them except for one day, which we were behind by one gold. That was a bit risky,” Rental told DayakDaily in an exclusive interview.
Unexpected successes in events like pétanque, where Sarawak won five golds instead of the anticipated two, and diving, where nine golds were secured instead of the expected three, played a crucial role in surpassing the target.
Taekwondo also saw Sarawak dominate with 11 gold medals.
Apart from setting a daily target, another strategy was to ensure Sarawak led the medal tally from the start.
“I don’t want to chase others. Instead I want others to chase us. Sarawak had to be leading all the way or we would have difficulty in catching up. Furthermore, leading would give confidence to us. This was our strategy,” said Rentap who is also Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Deputy Minister.
And when the Federal Territories came really close where at one point where there was only a two gold medal difference, like every Sarawakian, he was under pressure.
Tensions continued to mount when the difference was only one gold apart, with Sarawak surpassing its target of medal target of 70 to reach 71 golds.
“When you come to sports or anything that is competitive, there is a way that you do give pressure, but at the end of the day, you must make sure that they enjoy the game and perform to the best of their ability. That is what we did.
“But the biggest booster came during the Sarawak Skills 30th Anniversary gala dinner (on Aug 23) where Premier (Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg) gave assurance that whether Sarawak was crowned overall champion or not, he was fine with Sarawak achieving its targeted goal of 70 and clinching 71 golds.”
And on the final day (Aug 24) of reckoning, in the initial stage, the Federal Territories managed to snatch another nine golds, while Sarawak, only six.
It was another period of anxiety and unease but finally, Sarawak pushed through, beating the Federal Territories by one gold medal.
Sarawak ultimately secured a historic victory with 76 golds, 55 silvers, and 70 bronzes, while Federal Territories finished with 75 golds, 65 silvers, and 72 bronzes. Selangor placed third with 56 golds, 64 silvers, and 61 bronzes.
The preparations, according to Rentap, started as early as March 16, 2023, when Sarawak was announced to be the host of Sukma 2024.
Meetings were held with the 37 sports clubs and associations to ensure that Sarawak athletes participated in all events.
“As long as we participate, there will be a 50 per cent chance of winning. If we don’t participate, we have no chance of winning at all. Our No 1 mission was that in every game, Sarawak was represented.”
As for the medal target of 70 golds, it was not a number that was plucked from thin air.
Rather, it was one that was based on a rational mathematical analysis, aiming to win at least 15 per cent of the 488 available gold medals.
Achieving 76 golds equated to nearly 16 per cent, a testament to the effectiveness of the planning and hard work involved.
“If you look at it, 15 contingents, 488 medals, we had to win at least 12 per cent (out of the 488 gold medals) to be in the top five. I set the target of winning 15 per cent gold medals out of the total 488. Only then would we have a chance (to win overall championship). To win 76 golds, it is about 15.5 per cent, almost 16 per cent.”
As Sukma 2024 concludes, Rentap highlighted that the work continues, with ongoing meetings and preparations for the distribution of incentives to athletes.
“There are still many loose ends which we need to settle and with incentives coming up, we have to ensure that they are properly distributed,” said Rentap. — DayakDaily
