KUCHING: Sarawak para athletes have been urged to make improving their personal records their main target when competing at the Selangor 2026 Para SUKMA before pursuing gold medals for the state.

Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said every athlete should set targets to improve their respective achievements as a form of success at the Para SUKMA stage.

“Certainly, everyone should be able to improve their targets and records. They must move up another level. That itself is already an achievement,” she said.

She said this when delivering words of encouragement at the Send-Off Ceremony for Sarawak Para Athletes to the Selangor 2026 Para SUKMA at the departure hall of Kuching International Airport (KIA) here on Tuesday.

According to Dato Sri Fatimah, athletes’ success should be viewed in stages, beginning with a smooth classification process, the ability to compete, improvement of personal records and subsequently achieving the gold medal target.

She said the classification process to be conducted in Selangor must proceed smoothly to ensure athletes who have completed their preparations are able to compete in their respective events without facing eligibility issues.

She also reminded athletes to ensure their physical, mental and emotional readiness remained at the best level throughout the Games, while maintaining proper nutrition and health before competitions.

A total of 383 members of the Sarawak contingent, comprising 172 athletes, 126 officials and 85 support personnel, will participate in the Selangor 2026 Para SUKMA.

Dato Sri Fatimah said the team’s preparations had been carried out for more than a year, with managers and coaches identifying new talents and combining them with existing athletes to form the team that would represent Sarawak.

She said the journey of Sarawak para athletes was not merely about pursuing success in competitions, but also about carrying the name of Sarawak and elevating the achievements of persons with disabilities (PWDs) to a higher level.

She also urged the athletes to remain focused and turn every challenge they faced into motivation to deliver their best performances in Selangor. -UKASnews

Prepared by: Lonney Jinab
Photos: Mohd Hisyam Arif
Translator: Uilson Ng