BAU: Sarawak’s young tennis players have given the state plenty of encouragement for the future after returning from the 2026 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) in Selangor with two silver medals and a bronze.
Datuk Henry Harry Jinep, who served as assistant chef de mission (ACDM) for tennis, said the three-medal haul was particularly encouraging as it had not formed part of the team’s original medal target.
“We managed to win two silver medals and one bronze, which was not something we had included in our projected target. Most of our players are new and some are only 14 or 15 years old, so they still have a long journey ahead of them,” he told reporters during a press conference here today (Aug 25).
Henry said the relatively young age of the players also meant they had time to further develop their skills, physical strength and mental resilience ahead of future editions of SUKMA.
“They can continue building their skills, strength and mental strength, as well as improve their game for another two or three SUKMA to come. Hopefully, with time, Sarawak will become even stronger in tennis,” he said.
Beyond the medals, Henry said he was encouraged by the determination displayed by the young athletes throughout the competition.
“I was impressed by their fighting spirit when they played. You could see how determined they were.
“For players who are only 14 or 15 years old, mental strength is one of the more difficult aspects to manage, but this experience will help them grow,” he said.
Looking at Sarawak’s overall performance at the Games, Henry said the state had made considerable progress across various sports despite not achieving its target of emerging overall champion.
He acknowledged that competition had been tough, particularly with host Selangor also pushing for the overall title.
“It was not easy. The home team wanted to be champion as well, so the competition was tough.
“But overall, I think Sarawak has improved considerably across many sports and performed very well,” he said.
