Kota Kinabalu: Competing against Malaysia’s elite special forces and naval marksmen, a small but determined team from the Sabah Shooting Association (SSA) defied the odds to secure second place overall in the Production category at the DSS Trophy 2025 IPSC Level II Championship held recently in Putrajaya.
For Jeson Yong, the team’s leader and deputy secretary of SSA, the victory was more than just a medal, it was proof that a private club from Sabah could stand shoulder to shoulder with the country’s best shooters.
“It’s not easy for a private shooting club to break the dominance of the security forces’ teams in IPSC events.
“We are truly proud because this shows the level of talent and commitment among shooters from Sabah,” he said when contacted.
The journey to the podium, however, was far from easy. Jeson said the team had to manage their own training and expenses while preparing for the high-level competition.
“Every participant had to cover their own costs, from ammunition to travel. But we pushed through because we wanted to prove that Sabah shooters can compete nationally,” he said.
This year’s championship featured challenging and highly technical stage designs, including tactical manoeuvres and shooting positions that tested participants’ adaptability.
“One of the hardest parts was the weak hand shooting, using the non-dominant hand,” Jeson explained. “It’s rarely featured, so it really pushed us to the limit.”The result also marked Jeson’s second national podium finish, after securing third place in both individual and team categories at the LEIOS IPSC Open Level 2 earlier this year.
Encouraged by the team’s success, Jeson hopes to see more shooters from Sabah participating in national and international competitions, and even dreams of hosting a Level II IPSC event in Sabah next year to nurture local talent.
This year’s DSS Trophy, now in its fourth edition, attracted 121 participants from various security agencies and shooting clubs across Malaysia. SSA’s team was represented by Jeson Yong (team leader), Carlson Cassey Alipin, Azlin Mohi, and Azlina Azizan.
