KUCHING: The biennial Sarawak Games (Suksar) kicked off in Betong on Wednesday (Feb 4) with 773 athletes competing in 11 sports.
State deputy Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu said Suksar was not just a sports contest but a strategic platform for talent scouting and athlete development in Sarawak.
"Through Suksar, athletes are tested not only in their physical and technical abilities but also in their mental strength, discipline, resilience and sportsmanship.
"In the increasingly competitive sports landscape, we need athletes who not only excel on the field but have integrity and can handle pressure during competition," he said at the Games' opening ceremony.
Rentap also said Suksar played an important role in Sarawak's preparations for the upcoming Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Selangor from Aug 15 to 24.
"Suksar is the main arena for assessing the readiness of athletes. The athletes should use Suksar to gain confidence, competitiveness and experience," he said.
In line with this, Rentap said the athletes were given a clear target to defend Sarawak's title as Sukma champions at the Selangor Games.
"This is important to show that Sarawak athletes are not just champions at home but can compete consistently and excel at the national level, besides having potential for the international stage..
"Next year we will co-host the SEA Games in Kuching, and in 2028 the Olympics will take place.
"These are all steps for us to prepare our athletes for international competition and Sarawak athletes can represent Malaysia," he said.
Sarawak emerged as the overall champion in the last Sukma, which the state hosted in 2024.
Athletes at Suksar will compete for 105 gold medals in basketball, boxing, cycling, karate, netball, petanque, sepak takraw, softball, taekwondo, table tennis and weightlifting.
The northern zone has the biggest contingent with 227 athletes, followed by the southern zone (211), central zone (171) and western zone (164).
The closing ceremony will take place at the Sri Aman indoor stadium on Sunday (Feb 8).
