Kota Kinabalu: Sabah’s para swimmers captured 12 golds, six silvers and five bronzes to finish fourth overall at the second circuit of the National Para Swimming Championship held in Johor which ended on Wednesday.
Wahyu Eqwal from Sandakan competing in the S5/SB5 category was the toast of the team with seven golds and one silver in addition to breaking four records.
Fellow Sandakan teammate Shahafiq Abdullah delivered the other five golds and three silvers with one record in the S7/SB6 category.
The other medal winners were Kota Kinabalu swimmers Chen Zai Sheng with two silvers and one bronze in Q13 category and Chia Faang Jann with four bronzes in the S5/SB5.
Sabah was represented by a nine-member team led by manager Eva Wong.
Also in the team were technical officers Thien Oi Yee and Tony Tawin with Muhd Fazri Hassan as the escort while the coaches were Ronisafihim Ibrahim from Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu’s Casey Chong and Shawn Voon.
The swimmers were Wahyu Eqwal (S5- L13), Shahafiq Abdullah (S7-L19), Suriyan Malik (S11-L22), Sitti Khairunnisa (S14-P11) from Sandakan and Chia Faang Jann (S5-L19), Chen Zai Sheng (S13-L13), Rasha Lim (S14-L15), Vernice Ho (S14- P13), Chloe Lim (S14-P16) from Kota Kinabalu.
Eva was pleased with the overall performance of the swimmers despite five of them in the team being newcomers.
She thanked Sabah Sports Council, the Department of Youth and Sports and the State Education Department for their support to ensure the success of the athletes.
Meanwhile, she also revealed that Sabah Para Swimming Association has been founded early this year and she will be conducting a talent camp jointly organised by the State and national bodies, National and State Sports Council, Youth and Sports Ministry today (Friday) at the Penampang Sports Complex from 2pm-5pm.
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