KUCHING: National swimmer Hii Puong Wei powered Sarawak to three gold medals on Day 1 of the Borneo Games 2025, with victories in the men’s 100m breaststroke, 400m individual medley, and the 4x100m mixed relay.
The 22-year-old, who currently trains at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil, expressed joy at returning to represent his home state and making an impact in front of the local crowd.
“So far, I think it’s only three golds. Coming back here, I’d say I just want to have fun, but competition-wise, I feel very proud to represent my own state and to go against other countries as well,” he told Sarawak Tribune after his races at the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre on Thursday (Sept 25).
Despite his impressive performance, Puong Wei confirmed that he did not qualify for the upcoming SEA Games, with his next focus being smaller-scale competitions such as university-level meets.
“Mostly, it will only be university games. Previously, before the Borneo Games, it was also university competitions for me,” he explained.
Hii, who is pursuing a degree in software engineering at Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT), balances his studies with training as a national-level swimmer.
“I train at Bukit Jalil. Right now, my main focus is just keeping up with both my studies and swimming at the university level,” he added.
For Sarawak, Hii’s triple-gold haul provided a major boost in their campaign, reinforcing the state’s strength in both individual and relay events as they aim to meet their 16-gold target at the Games.
