KUCHING: Dancesport’s rising popularity among youth worldwide has inspired Sarawak to strengthen its commitment to develop the sport locally.
Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu said the Sarawak government is fully supportive of efforts to nurture dancesport, recognising its potential to unite communities, empower young athletes, and raise the state’s sporting profile internationally.
“I can see that dancesport is something that has a big attraction to many countries around the world. It has a big following because it has grown well through the federations of various countries.
“Especially the young athletes — as you can see, they will be the ones performing in the next couple of years to come,” he said when officiating the 3rd Borneo Open International DanceSport Championship & Convention 2025 at Raia Hotel and Convention Centre on Sunday (Oct 5).
He emphasised the importance of long-term planning to ensure that dancesport in Sarawak continues to progress beyond just international competitions.
“The government of Sarawak is willing to support such tournaments and efforts to grow dancesport. Anywhere there is a competition in Sarawak, we will fully support it. So please, plan.
“We want you to plan for the long term — not only to host international competitions, but also to build our technical expertise and create platforms for talents from rural and remote areas,” he said.
Rentap assured that the government stands ready to support future dancesport events and initiatives aimed at growing participation at all levels.
“To have a competition in Sarawak, we will support it. We want dancesport to be something that we can be proud of,” he added.
He also extended his appreciation to the organising committee, coaches, and especially the parents who have continuously supported their children’s involvement in the sport.
“Tonight’s performances reflect the dedication and effort of our athletes. We can see that DanceSport is moving to a higher level, especially here in Sarawak,” he said.
The 3rd Borneo Open International DanceSport Championship & Convention (BOIDC) 2025, held from Oct 1 to 7, featured elite dancers from 23 countries including China, Kazakhstan, Korea, France, Great Britain, Latvia, Croatia, Japan, and Malaysia.
Recognised under the official sanctioning banners of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), DanceSport Asia (DSA), and the Malaysia DanceSport Federation (MYDF), this year’s championship brought together over 2,000 participants from across the globe.
The event featured a series of prestigious title competitions, including the WDSF Open Latin and Standard, WDSF Rising Star Latin and Standard, WDSF Open Solo Latin and Standard, as well as the DSA Asian Championship categories for Solo Latin Female Junior and Solo Latin Female Under 21.
