KUCHING: Sarawak’s latest SUKMA esports champions are already looking beyond their gold medal, with the young sim racers setting their sights on representing Malaysia and pursuing professional careers in motorsport.
The quartet’s ambitions come after they ended Sarawak’s six-year wait for an esports gold at SUKMA by winning the mixed endurance race, beating hosts Selangor to silver and Terengganu to bronze.
Speaking to the media after arriving at Kuching International Airport here today (Aug 25), team members Jeff Tan Qi Rui, Aaron Richard and Cindy Cheng Ming En said the SUKMA victory has strengthened their determination to continue developing their racing careers.
Tan said he hopes to earn an opportunity to represent Malaysia at the SEA Games.
“If I can, I would like to represent Malaysia for the SEA Games,” he said.
He added that the competition is challenging, with opponents displaying greater speed and access to more advanced facilities.
However, extensive preparation helps the Sarawak team close the gap and eventually secure victory.
Meanwhile, Aaron hopes to take his sim racing experience into real-world motorsport.
“If possible, I will definitely continue my racing journey and hopefully become a professional race car driver, especially by joining Toyota Rookies,” said Aaron.
The ambition is shared by 15-year-old Cheng, who is competing in her first SUKMA and describes winning gold while representing Sarawak as a proud moment.
The young racers said their SUKMA success is the result of months of intensive preparation involving simulator training, physical conditioning and mental preparation.
Aaron said the team begins its SUKMA preparation early this year, while training involves more than simply spending time behind the simulator.
He said the team understands that success in racing is not determined by speed alone.
“Racing is not always about being fast. It’s also about how you handle pressure. If you can’t handle pressure, you will either lose so much position or you just can’t keep up with the race,” he added.
The team trained for up to nine hours a day, while Cheng balances her racing commitments with her studies by training after school and continuing at home.
Their journey also receives strong backing from their families, who encourage them to pursue a discipline that remains relatively new in Sarawak.
Tan said his father introduced him to sim racing before encouraging him to register for the SUKMA selection process.
Aaron said his mother has supported him since he began sim racing in 2024, including during difficult periods in his journey.
“At first, she had her doubts, which is reasonable because sim racing is particularly new in Sarawak.
“But I just want to say thank you to my mum and my family for supporting me, especially my mother. She knows that I’ve been struggling a lot throughout this journey, and she has been there all the time,” he said.
Cheng, meanwhile, credits her parents and partners for helping her improve and supporting her throughout her first major competition.
The quartet’s victory marks Sarawak’s first esports gold since the sport was introduced at SUKMA in 2018.
