KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Bernama) -- Waving the Malaysian flag high, Sabahan students shone at the prestigious Dance World Cup (DWC) finals in Prague, Czech Republic, claiming an impressive haul of three gold medals.
Talented young dancers from four Sabah schools—SK Mutiara, SK St. Agnes, SK Sri Gaya, and SK Bundu—stunned judges with their performances at the Dance World Cup in Prague, winning an additional two silver and two bronze medals.
SK Mutiara triumphed with gold in the Children Solo National and Folklore category, while SK Sri Gaya claimed gold in the Children Small Group National and Folklore category. SK St. Agnes added to the gold haul by winning in the Children Duet/Trio National and Folklore category.
Besides that, SK Mutiara also won silver in the Children Duet/Trio National and Folklore category, Children Small Group National and Folklore category (bronze), and Children Solo National Folklore (Boys) category (bronze). SK St Agnes also bagged a silver in the Children Solo National and Folklore category.
This year, 27 students from Malaysia, aged 11 and 12, competed against 3,750 dancers from 67 countries at the DWC World Finals held from June 27 to July 6.
Teachers and parents beamed with pride at this year's achievements, having collaborated to raise funds to send the young dancers to Prague for the DWC World Finals—the Olympics of Dance—helping them fulfil their dreams of competing on the world stage.
Head of delegation Masdi Ahmad Mus said the students' and teachers' hard work over the months paid off as they excelled on the international stage.
"All the dancers practised daily for this tournament. They have made meticulous preparations for the best performance.
"We are overjoyed and thankful for winning three gold medals at the DWC World Finals. All the sacrifices and efforts of teachers and students finally paid off when they managed to make Malaysia's name shine on the world stage," he told Bernama.
Masdi, who is the senior assistant for co-curriculum at SK Mutiara, said parents and teachers have been very involved in the preparation since March, after securing their ticket to represent Malaysia by winning the nationwide selection process held by the National Department for Culture and Arts.
For SK Mutiara, the participation of the eight students accompanied by eight teachers, required about RM300,000 to cover all expenses for the competition including airfares, accommodation, and food.
The outpouring of support from politicians and community leaders, companies, NGOs, and individuals proved to be instrumental in making the dreams of the students, school, and parents a reality as they managed to collect RM235,000.
“We have to bear the expenses for the DWC World Finals. We will organise various activities to raise funds to pay the debt when we return to Sabah.”
This is SK Mutiara's second outing at the DWC World Finals. They previously won a gold medal in 2019.
Meanwhile, a teacher from SK Bundu Katres Kuntiw said this year two dancers from the school qualified in the DWC World Finals but only one flew to Prague due to financial constraints.
"We collected funds from representatives of the people and the public. Due to insufficient funds to support two dancers, only one dancer was flown to Prague.
"Last year, dancers from SK Bundu also qualified for the DWC World Finals in Portugal. Due to lack of funds, we had to give up the opportunity to perform on the international stage. This year, we are working hard to raise funds to send at least one dancer to Prague," she told Bernama when contacted.
Representing SK Bundu, a young dancer showcased a captivating traditional Murut dance in the Children Solo National and Folklore category, coming in a commendable fifth place. Year 6 student Pearl Cassandra Traver Ingging narrowly missed the bronze medal by a mere 0.11 points.
Meanwhile, Suzilah Mohd Sidek, Ambassador of Malaysia to the Czech Republic said the young dancers are very talented.
"We in Prague were lucky to have the opportunity to witness the superb performances of the Malaysian participants, besides being moved by their victories in every category they competed in.
"I would like to congratulate their teachers who are involved in unearthing talent, training, and raising funds for them to continue their struggle while making Malaysia's name on the world stage," she told Bernama.
-- BERNAMA
