SELANGOR: More than 20 parents travelled from Kuching to Selangor to cheer on Sarawak’s water polo teams as they swept both gold medals at SUKMA XXII today (Aug 17).
The parents took leave from work and made the journey to support their children throughout the Games, providing encouragement during the tense finals.
Speaking on behalf of the parents, Anthea Yeo said their presence made a significant difference to the players, particularly during the tense matches.
“All the parents here, we flew from Kuching, taking leave from work. We have to work, but at the same time, we want to support our children,” she said.
She described the women’s and men’s finals as tough contests, saying the parents’ presence was one way of showing their children that they were behind them all the way.
“It was really, really a very tough match. Coming all the way here for SUKMA, I think all the parents’ support makes a lot of difference for all the players,” she said.
Yeo said the achievement was not only down to the players, but also the coaches, team managers and the Sarawak government, which had supported the teams throughout their campaign.
She said more than 20 parents of players from both the men’s and women’s teams had made the trip from Kuching to be there for the historic double.
“More than 20 of us from the boys’ and girls’ teams are all here with our full support,” she said.
The women’s team secured a historic gold after defeating hosts Selangor 12-10 in the final, while the men’s team completed the golden double with a 9-6 victory over Selangor.
For the parents, watching their children stand among the champions made the long journey and time away from work worthwhile.
Meanwhile, Julie Tan shared her delight over her son Julius Abbas’ achievement as part of the Sarawak men’s gold medal-winning team.
“Keep humble, keep working hard and keep chasing your dreams. Well done. I’m proud of you for never giving up!” she said.
