SELANGOR: Sarawak’s maiden women’s beach volleyball medal at the Malaysia Games (SUKMA) has been hailed as a historic breakthrough and a major boost for the state’s young athletes.
Assistant Chef-de-Mission (ACDM) for beach volleyball, Angellie Stephen Raja, said the achievement by Stacy Usun Yesayah and Jacqueline Yek Yi Jun showed that Sarawak athletes were capable of making their mark when given proper development and exposure.
Stacy and Jacqueline etched their names in Sarawak sporting history after securing bronze by defeating Perak A 2-0 at the Beach Volleyball Court, MBSA, Section 19, here today.
The Sarawak A pair produced a confident display to win 21-12, 21-13 and deliver the state its first-ever medal in women’s beach volleyball at SUKMA.
“This is a great encouragement for all our Sarawak youth. It shows that we can do it as long as we focus on proper sports development for the sport.
“It also proves that our ‘Anak Sarawak’ are always ready to prove their worth,” said Angellie to Sarawak Tribune when contacted.
She acknowledged that the pair had struggled somewhat in their bid to reach the final but praised them for regaining their confidence when it mattered most against Perak.
“They got back their confidence during the match with Perak, flexing their skills and experience on court,” she said.
Angellie, who is also the Political Secretary to the Premier of Sarawak, said the SUKMA experience would also provide Stacy and Jacqueline with valuable lessons on areas they still needed to improve before returning stronger at the next edition.
She stressed that greater exposure to competitions outside Sarawak would be important in helping the state’s beach volleyball players sharpen their skills and develop better strategies.
“In the future, our players will need more exposure in beach volleyball tournaments outside of Sarawak to sharpen their skills and develop better strategies,” she said.
Angellie also expressed hope for continued government support and closer cooperation with the association to further develop the sport at grassroots level.
“We want to see more beach volleyball players emerging from our state,” she said.
With Sarawak now celebrating its historic breakthrough, Angellie believes the bronze medal can serve as a foundation for an even stronger future in the sport.
“Agi idup agi ngelaban! Gold for the next round!” she added.
