KOTA KINABALU, July 31 (Bernama) -- Sabah will field 90 per cent young and new athletes in the fencing competition at the 21st Malaysia Games (SUKMA), which will be held in Sarawak next month.
Sabah Fencing Association president, Datuk Alex Sham Ching Nam said that this decision is aimed at providing exposure to young local athletes from Sabah, with the goal of developing them into athletes who can represent the nation in the future.
“We do not have any national athletes representing Sabah at SUKMA; we have many young talents compared to previous teams. Like babies growing up, we have big plans for them. We do not want to rush; we are taking it step by step to ensure our plans for them succeed,” he said.
At the 21st SUKMA, the fencing events will take place in Miri from Aug 19 to 23.
Commenting on the team's preparations, he said the team has been preparing since last year with intensive training sessions at the Fencing Training Centre, Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex and that the final list of athletes will be confirmed soon after careful selection is completed.
Sham said that the Sabah Fencing Association also has a strong partnership with the Hong Kong Fencing School, which has been instrumental in developing athletes, particularly in improving and enhancing the quality of the team's training.
He also expressed gratitude to the Sabah Sports Council (MSNS) for the various forms of support provided, including sports equipment such as the fencing shoes that will be used in SUKMA.
Sabah Fencing Team head coach, Kelvin Chung Kin Vui said that he places a particular emphasis on attacking skills during training, as precise and powerful attacks are crucial for scoring points.
He noted that one effective attacking tactic is the quick lunge, which can surprise opponents and create openings for subsequent attacks, as well as the feint technique to mislead opponents before executing the actual attack.
“Reaction and reflexes are also crucial. In fencing, swift reactions and sharp reflexes are critical. Athletes must also be able to read their opponent’s movements and respond in an instant,” he said.
Chung added that mental aspects are also emphasised among Sabah’s fencing athletes to ensure they remain focused and calm under pressure when facing opponents and the competition environment.
“Emotional control is also very important, as uncontrolled emotions can negatively impact an athlete’s performance on the piste. Therefore, athletes are trained to manage stress and emotions to make wise and accurate decisions during competitions,” he said.
-- BERNAMA
