KUCHING: President of the Sarawak Deaf Sports Association, Ko Ming Liang, has issued a heartfelt call for greater community involvement in identifying and nurturing deaf athletes across the state, especially those in rural areas.
Ko highlighted the challenges of reaching potential athletes, many of whom remain “hidden” due to limited access, awareness, or resources.
“We have deaf athletes, we have a lot of deaf athletes that we can reach out to but in other areas, other regions, maybe in rural areas, it’s very hard for us to reach out to them.
“Maybe they are hiding somewhere that we don’t know, so we are still looking for more,” he told reporters at the final leg of the SOPMA Baton Run 2025 at MBKS grounds today.
Ko, who joined the association in 2013 and was elected president in 2019, has been a key figure in expanding participation and awareness in deaf sports across Sarawak.
Under his leadership, the association has launched multiple programmes and collaborated with various agencies to provide a platform for deaf athletes to shine.
This year, Sarawak will host Sukan Orang Pekak Malaysia (SOPMA) – the national-level games for the deaf which will feature five sports: badminton, bowling, futsal, athletics (olahraga) and orienteering.
Over 50 athletes from Sarawak have already been selected, with the search ongoing to strengthen the home team.
“We’re still preparing for SOPMA, and it may take place in October. I’m really thankful that the Sarawak Government is supporting us.
“All 14 states of Malaysia will be sending their deaf athletes to Kuching,” Ko said.
Sarawak athletes are also gearing up for two major international events: the ASEAN Deaf Games in Indonesia this August, and the Deaflympics in November, a global competition for elite deaf athletes.
Ko also expressed hope that the 2026 edition of the Silent Run – a key awareness and fundraising event – will see even wider participation with stronger publicity and media support.
