By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Sept 28: Sarawak has stormed back to reclaim the championship title at Para Malaysia Games (Sukma) XXI 2024, dethroning their fierce rival Sabah with an impressive haul of 82 gold, 53 silver, and 74 bronze medals while breaking seven records along the way, albeit just one medal shy of their ambitious target of 83 golds as the biennial games come to a close today.
Sabah, who took the crown at Para Sukma 2022, finished in second with 62 golds, 42 silvers, and 32 bronzes, while Johor claimed third place with 33 gold, 35 silver, and 29 bronze medals.
Minister of Women, Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah expressed overwhelming joy, pride, and gratitude upon confirming Sarawak’s remarkable achievement at this year’s games.
She acknowledged the immense effort and dedication poured in by para-athletes to deliver their best performances.
“This achievement is meaningful and amazing as Sarawak had recaptured the championship title, especially considering the strength of the Sabah team. It was neck-and-neck at the start, but in the past few days, we managed to pull ahead.
“I’m incredibly proud of all our athletes. They’ve worked so hard, sacrificed so much, and been away from their families. It’s heartbreaking to see their disappointment when they fall short of winning a medal, but the spirit of our contingent remained high, with strong support for one another,” she told DayakDaily when contacted today.
Fatimah also extended her deepest appreciation to the entire Sarawak contingent, particularly Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, Sarawak Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Sukma and Para Sukma 2024 chief executive officer Datu Hii Chang Kee, and all those working behind the scenes, including the main secretariat, chefs de mission, their assistants, and volunteers, as well as the athletes, their parents, coaches, and technical officers, for making this victory possible.
Sarawak’s contingent took home a total of 209 medals, marking their 14th overall title in the games’ history and adding 2024 to their legacy of victories stretching from 1994 to 2018.
Although Sarawak’s final push for the 83rd gold was thwarted today in the lawn bowling events, the para-athletes still managed to secure two silver medals and one bronze in the B2 category for both the men’s and women’s singles.
In the Women’s B2 Singles event for Group P, Then Chiew Yen showcased remarkable skill throughout the competition. However, her efforts fell just short against Hasmunirah Maliki from Negeri Sembilan, who clinched the gold medal. Consequently, Then earned the silver, while Nur Aishah Tajudin from Perlis took home the bronze.
In the Men’s B2 Singles event for Group B, Sarawak continued its strong performance, with Azizie Suip securing a silver medal. His teammate, Rustam Effendy Umarn, also performed admirably, claiming the bronze. Both athletes mounted a fierce challenge against the champion from Pahang, Muhamad Ayub Mohd, who won the gold medal.
This victory is especially sweet, as it represents a meteoric comeback after finishing second just two years ago when they secured 50 golds but were narrowly edged out by Sabah, who won 54 golds, ending Sarawak’s 13-title winning streak that had stretched back to 1994.
Fielding a formidable squad of 213 athletes, comprising 143 men and 70 women, Sarawak proved their dominance once again.
Leading the charge, their athletics team swept the competition with an astounding 94 medals (33 golds, 24 silvers, and 37 bronzes). The swimming team made waves, racking up 41 medals (17 golds, 13 silvers, and 11 bronzes), while powerlifting flexed its strength with 18 medals (13 golds, one silver, and four bronzes).
Ten-pin bowling followed with 17 medals (7 golds, three silvers, and seven bronzes), alongside lawn bowls with 11 medals (3 golds, five silvers, and three bronzes), boccia earning eight medals (three golds, three silvers, and two bronzes), while table tennis, badminton, and chess brought in five, eight, and six medals, respectively.
A true standout of the games was Sarawak’s swimming sensation, Fraidden Dawan crowned the best male para-athlete after securing six golds in the men’s 100m backstroke S10, 100m breaststroke SB9, 100m freestyle S10, 50m freestyle S10, and two team relay events: the 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley, alongside teammates Mully Adrianno, Rusdianto Rusmadi, and Galang Jabai.
Sarawak’s athletes did not just stop at winning; they rewrote history. Seven para-athletes smashed national and games records across swimming and powerlifting.
Fraidden alongside his powerhouse teammates Mully, Rusdianto, and Galang, the Sarawak relay team shattered the Para Sukma record in the 4x100m medley relay with a blistering time of 5:31.77.
Rusdianto set the pool ablaze with two new records in the men’s 200m individual medley (2:49.02) and 100m backstroke (1:18.68), while Galang Jabai surged to a new games record in the men’s 50m freestyle (34.59). Mohd Adib Iqbal Abdullah made waves by breaking the men’s 100m breaststroke record with a time of 1:11.44.
In powerlifting, Sarawak’s own Azlan Mos left an indelible mark on the games, shattering both national and games records by lifting an awe-inspiring 171kg in the 65kg category, surpassing Bonnie Bunyau Gustin’s previous 170kg record held in 2018.
Bryan Junency Gustin followed suit, smashing the national record in the below 88kg category with a staggering 191kg lift.
Meanwhile, Nur Rabiatul Adawiyah Bakri broke both games and national records in the women’s below 61kg class with an incredible 46kg lift.
This year’s Para Sukma featured over 1,200 athletes from 13 states and two federal territories, battling it out across ten sports. With 132 gold medals up for grabs in athletics alone, followed by 60 in swimming, 24 in powerlifting and chess, and medals in sports ranging from ten-pin bowling to boccia, the competition was fierce—but in the end, Sarawak reigned supreme, solidifying their status as an unstoppable force in Malaysian para-sports. — DayakDaily
