Borneo Sevens kicks off tomorrow
Published on: Friday, March 08, 2024
By: GL Oh
Velayuthan (second left) handing over the Challenge Trophy for the Men’s category to Ramesh witnessed by Chairman of East Malaysia Olympic Council KH Tan (left) and Eagles Rugby Club Captain Jonathan Tan.
Kota Kinabalu: The Borneo Sevens 2024 kicks off this Saturday in Sandakan with the participation of 14 teams – eight men’s and six women’s.
President of Sabah Rugby Union cum organising chairman, Velayuthan Tan said this year’s tournament is different from previous years as it will be enlivened with various programmes prior to the rugby matches.
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“The difference from the previous Borneo Sevens tournament is that we started with the rugby clinic on March 7-8, Borneo Classic Tens on March 8, and Sandakan Little Hong Kong Festival will be held together during the two-day tournament.
“The two-day rugby clinic which is given for free received tremendous response with the participation of 200 junior players from around Sandakan,” he said.
Velayuthan also said they had undertook this event many years ago as part of the Sandakan Festival to promote the district.
“We have kept our promise and continued to hold the tournament which attracted some of the best teams from Australia, New Zealand and Fiji and this is an incredible achievement for us.
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“We hope to continue this and make it a tournament in the coming years. This year the tournament venue will have a carnival environment as there are other activities such as a car show, and performances by local artistes among others,” he said.
Speaking to reporters at the press conference on Thursday, Velayuthan, who is also president of Eagles Rugby Club, said this tournament provides a good exposure for local teams, to go up against foreign contenders.
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“The competition provides a pathway for Malaysians to mingle with professionals who can help improve their playing capabilities as it gives them the opportunity to gain exposure,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tournament Director, Ramesh Lachmanan said that in the men’s category, the eight teams are divided into two Pools with defending champions Borneo Eagles, Briars, Belgium and Malaysia Uni in Pool A.
Pool B comprises Cavaliers, Uzbekistan, Delhi Hurricanes and DKI Jakarta.
The women’s category will be played in a round-robin format and the teams competing for the title are Borneo Flyers, Uzbekistan, Philippines Eagles RFC, Briars, BAC Singapore and DKI Jakarta.
The champions will bring home a trophy, medals and cash prize of US$5,000 while the runners-up will also receive a trophy, medals and a cash prize of US$2,000.
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