By Chris Bishop
KUCHING, Aug 13: In a remarkable display of Sarawakian spirit, seven cousins sacrificed their sleep to queue for six hours starting at 3am to secure tickets for the highly anticipated opening ceremony of the 21st Malaysia Games (Sukma) Sarawak 2024 this Saturday (Aug 17).
The cousins, among the earliest to arrive at Sarawak Stadium, were determined not to miss out after failing to secure tickets the previous day.
Their patience paid off when they finally received the coveted tickets as the counter opened at 9.30am.
Tini, hailing from Kampung Tupong in Petra Jaya, shared that she had not slept at all the night before so that they could arrive at Sarawak Stadium early enough to join the queue.
“We lined up so early because we didn’t want to miss out on the tickets like we did yesterday (Aug 12).
“Fortunately, the weather held up, and after more than six hours of waiting, we finally got four tickets. We’re all ecstatic and eagerly anticipating the opening of Sukma 2024 this Saturday,” Tini said with a broad smile.
Her cousin, Nur Farahin, from Kampung Telaga Air, emphasised the significance of attending the Sukma opening event in Kuching, calling it a rare opportunity.
“It’s been quite some time since Sarawak hosted Sukma, with the last time being 2016 when I was still a child. I’m sure the opening ceremony this time will be spectacular,” she added.
Tini and Nur Farahin also mentioned that they plan to bring other family members along to witness the grand event.
A survey by DayakDaily revealed that people from around Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, and Betong had formed a queue stretching approximately 3 kilometres long, vying for a chance to buy tickets.
Excitement is in the air as everyone looks forward to the opening event at the stadium.
A total of 7,500 tickets were distributed yesterday, with another 7,500 given out today.
Due to the limited capacity of Sarawak Stadium, tickets are in high demand, with around 40,000 seats available.
Some of these seats are reserved for participants and officials involved in the event, while others are occupied by the stage setup. — DayakDaily
