KUCHING (May 23): Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah is confident that Sarawak can maintain its status as a swimming powerhouse in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is due to the enthusiasm among the schools and swimming clubs in promoting and developing swimming as well as continuing to produce more calibre swimmers for the state and country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe can see that year in and year out that Sarawak has been able to produce good swimmers to represent the state either in the National Age Group Swimming Championship, Sukan Malaysia (Sukma) or international events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith these efforts by Power Aquatic Swimming Club (PASC) and other clubs and divisional swimming associations who are looking after swimming, we do hope that this sport will always be the forefront in bringing us glory in national or international competitions in the future,\u201d Abdul Karim said at the closing of the 5th PASC Inter-Primary School Swimming Competition at the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre in Petra Jaya on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor the last two years we have been locked down by the Covid-19 pandemic where we are unable to organise a lot of competitions, among them is swimming competitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut I wish to acknowledge the swimming community especially the schools and the clubs despite the lockdown and when the doors are already open for us to lead back to our normal life, swimming has been in the forefront in organising swimming meets among swimming enthusiasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCongratulations to PASC and other clubs including the primary schools who have been able to get their swimmers back to the pool to train and compete in this meet,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abdul Karim said he understood that there are fewer participants this year because many of the swimmers were unable to train and he hoped that there will be more participants next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Abdul Karim, also the Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts was delighted to see the participation of more bumiputera swimmers especially from schools such as SK Islam Al Amin, SK Merdang, SK Dato Traoh, SKA Ibnu Khaldun and Mahad Tahfiz Tun Abdul Rahman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year\u2019s competition attracted 151 swimmers from 26 primary schools in Kuching and Samarahan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also present were Sarawak Sports Corporation chief executive officer Morhsidi Fredrick, PASC president Kapitan Tan Kun Gee, PASC advisor cum meet organising chairman Voon Yong Hui and Nestle Shopper and Consumer Engagement operation manager Tony Merill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n