SELANGOR: Sarawak volleyball coach Sanong Kulchim celebrated his 70th birthday in style as both the state’s men’s and women’s teams secured victories at the Malaysia Games (SUKMA) XXII yesterday (Aug 17).
The veteran coach, who hails from Lopburi, Thailand, has worked with Sarawak on and off since 2019, mainly with the women’s team.
His 70th birthday was made even more memorable as the men’s squad fought back from two sets down to beat Sabah 3-2 at Dewan MBSA Seksyen 19.
The victory was particularly significant for Sanong as this is his first SUKMA campaign leading Sarawak’s men’s team.
Sarawak looked in trouble after Sabah claimed the opening two sets 28-26 and 25-14. However, the Sarawak side refused to give up and responded strongly, taking the third set 25-16 before levelling the match with a 25-22 win in the fourth.
They then completed the comeback in emphatic fashion, winning the deciding set 15-6 to seal the 3-2 victory.
Earlier, the Sarawak women also contributed to Sanong’s birthday celebrations with a dominant 3-0 victory over Negeri Sembilan at Dewan MBSA Seksyen 4.
The Sarawak women wasted little time asserting their dominance, cruising to a 25-7, 25-12, 25-7 victory.
For Sanong, who has been involved with Sarawak volleyball primarily through the women’s programme since 2019, having both teams secure wins on his 70th birthday provided an especially memorable day.
It was also an encouraging start to his first campaign leading the Sarawak men’s side, with the dramatic comeback against Sabah showing the team’s fighting spirit after falling two sets behind.
