KUCHING: The UNIMAS 10s 2024 tournament saw enthusiastic participation from school teams, despite challenges posed by year-end exams.
The two-day tournament, held from Friday (Nov 29) to Saturday (Nov 30), featured 14 teams in the Under-11 category and 8 teams in the Under-14 category.
Mohd Nafri, Technical Advisor for Majlis Sukan Sekolah (MSS) Sarawak Rugby, expressed optimism about the tournament’s impact on player development.
“This is a very positive sign,” he told Sarawak Tribune at UNIMAS, Field C yesterday (Nov 30).
“We need more tournaments like this to help develop players’ skills.”
Nafri suggested a potential format change for next year’s tournament, separating school and club categories to encourage broader participation.
Looking ahead, he revealed plans to expand the age categories to include Under-12, Under-10, Under-14, and Under-16 divisions.
More competitive matches to enhance players’ skills was needed.
“In Sarawak, we lack sufficient game time,” he added.
“While our skills are comparable to the national level, our match fitness often hinders us in tight games.”
He thanked UNIMAS for organising the tournament and urged continued collaboration with state and district associations to host more events.
“We hope to create more opportunities for young players to hone their talents,” he said.
With these plans and ongoing support, the future of school rugby in Sarawak appears promising, offering a platform for young players to develop their skills and contribute to the growth of the sport.
