SABAH emerged as the overall champions of the 65th Malaysian Schools Sports Council Athletics Championship after collecting 19 gold, 22 silver, and 17 bronze medals.
The contingent received the championship challenge trophy, a Milo-sponsored accompanying trophy, and 1,500 ringgit worth of vouchers sponsored by Clamor.
Deputy Secretary-General of the Education Ministry Datuk Wan Hashim Wan Rahim presented the awards at the closing ceremony held at Tuanku Syed Putra Stadium.
The championship began on 19 August and concluded today with participation from about 1,400 athletes representing 16 state contingents.
Events were contested across under-12, under-15, and under-18 age categories throughout the competition.
Wan Hashim stated that the MSSM championship serves as a platform to unearth young sporting talents while reflecting the ministry’s commitment to nurturing younger generations through sports.
“Sports at the school level, particularly in the MSSM Championship, is not merely a competition,” he said in his closing speech.
He emphasized that the championship forms the foundation for building balanced character and instilling noble values such as teamwork and a high fighting spirit.
“Every year this championship witnesses the emergence of many student-athletes who eventually become the nation’s hope,” he added.
Wan Hashim also highlighted that the 1 Student 1 Sport Policy emphasizes holistic student participation aligned with the Sports for All concept.
This policy encourages students to actively engage in sports as part of a healthy lifestyle according to the deputy secretary-general.
He further explained that Sports for Excellence focuses on enhancing student-athlete performance toward achieving excellence and supporting their championship participation.
The championship successfully concluded with Sabah’s dominant performance across multiple age categories and events. – Bernama
