Kota Kinabalu: A total of 51 taekwondo exponents will represent Sabah at the upcoming Hwa Rang Warrior Asia Cup tournament taking place next month at Titiwangsa Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
The athletes, all originated from Papar and representing Wira Papar ITF Taekwondo Club and Superior Starkick ITF Taekwondo Club, from various age groups will vie for gold medals as the tournament starts from September 4 to 6.
State contingent head, Osmaiza Osman when contacted on Sunday, informed that the contingent has set a target of 10 gold medals to be hauled back home at the end of the tournament.
“The athletes have been in high spirits throughout their preparations for the tournament and are looking forward to delivering a strong medal haul including achieving our initial gold medal target.
“Out of the total 51 athletes, 27 will compete in the male categories while the remaining 24 will participate in the female categories, they will be divided into their respective individual and team events across the sparring (Matsogi) and pattern (Tul) disciplines,” he said.
This will be the district clubs’ second major competition in 2026, whereby Osmaiza said competing in high-level tournaments such as this provides a platform for the athletes to test their skills and gain valuable competitive experience.
For the male categories, 19 junior athletes will compete in the Under-12 category, another five in the Under-18 and two exponents will participate in the Under-25 while one veteran will compete in the Men’s Above-40 category.
Whereas a total of 14 junior girls will participate in the Under-12s, six for the Under-18s, three more in the Under-25s while another sole veteran will compete in the Women’s Above-30 category.
Earlier during the flag handover and send-off ceremony for the Sabah ITF contingent on Sunday, Community Development Officer for DUN N29 Pantai Manis, Rahman Abdul Latip praised the athletes’ commitment and high spirits heading into a big tournament.
“Both clubs not only played a key role in supporting the athletes and their development in preparations for the tournament but also reflected the clubs’ continued efforts to develop taekwondo among youths here in Papar, giving young athletes opportunities to build discipline, confidence and teamwork.
More importantly, the competition will provide the young athletes with an opportunity to gain experience on the competitive stage while carrying the hopes of their clubs and the Papar community,” said Rahman.