SELANGOR: A 25-medal haul, including 10 gold, capped Sarawak’s para swimming campaign at Para SUKMA Selangor 2026.
Team manager Sabarriah Amit said the overall performance was encouraging, particularly with most of the squad making their debut at the Games.
“We are grateful for the overall performance. The athletes gave their best, and just like all sports there are wins and losses, that is part of competition,” she told reporters at the Selangor Aquatic Centre today.
Sarawak’s haul comprised 10 gold, five silver and 10 bronze medals.
The squad had targeted 12 gold medals, but Sabarriah said finishing with 10 was still a result the team could be proud of.
“Although we did not reach 12 gold, we are still proud because we were not far off our target,” she said.
The campaign held from Sept 7-10 was particularly significant for the new athletes, with 21 of Sarawak’s 27 swimmers making their Para SUKMA debut.
The squad comprised 22 male and five female swimmers, with only about six athletes having previous Para SUKMA experience.
Head coach Syarbini Kedri said the exposure would be valuable for the debutants as they look to develop further.
“We are very satisfied with the new athletes. They gained good exposure, but for this Games, we were also counting on our senior athletes,” he said.
Among the swimmers who contributed gold medals to Sarawak’s campaign were Galang Jabai, Mully Andriano, Fraidden Dawan and Rusdianto Rusmadi.
Syarbini said the improvement shown by several of the debutants compared with their performances during training was another positive takeaway from the campaign.
He added that the experience gained in Selangor would provide the young swimmers with a strong foundation as they continue their development in para swimming.
