KOTA KINABALU: Hosts Kota Kinabalu emerged as the overall champion of the 10th Sabah Games (SAGA X) after securing 87 medals, comprising 32 gold, 25 silver and 30 bronze.
Keningau district secured the runner-up position with a total of 58 medals (18-15-25), followed by Sandakan with 46 medals (15-10-21). This edition of the games saw 28 districts participating in 22 sports (10 compulsory, 12 optional).
State Minister of Youth and Sports, Datuk Ellron Angin, said Kunak showed the most notable improvement by winning four gold medals this time.
“Kunak has never won any medals since the inception of the Sabah Games. Athlete Muhammad Khalil Helmi from Kuala Penyu also successfully broke a 12-year record in the 400 metres event with a time of 48.70 seconds,” he said during the SAGA X press conference here today.
Sandakan also set a record in the men’s 4x400 metres relay with a time of 3:25.92s.
He said in the next edition, six more core sports will be added, making it a total of 28 sports, compared to only 22 this time.
“We see potential in the winning athletes, but we need to hone their skills further for continuous development,” Ellron, who was a former national sprinter in the 1980s, said.
He also said that when Tawau hosts the 11th edition in 2025, boxing, silat and karate will be using a fully electronic scoring system.–Bernama
