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Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Golf Association (SGA) will build on the State players’ recent success at the Malaysian School Sports Council (MSSM) golf tournament in their preparation for the Malaysian Games (Sukma) next year.

Its president Nash Hon said this on Thursday at the appreciation reception hosted by the State body at Sabah Golf and Country Club for the Under-18 boy and girl teams, who both emerged as runners-up in the tournament held in May.

The boys’ total score of 691 saw them finishing seven strokes behind champions Selangor, while the girls who managed 733, also came in second behind Selangor who had a 693.

Mohamad Rafiq Anugerah Ali was the toast in the men’s team with Ryan Lam Tse Ziang and Muhammad Arif Izwan Nordin.

He almost made it to the podium in the individual event as he led the pack on day one with an impressive 70 and was joint lead the following day with 73 before faltering on the final round with 76 to finish fourth.

Jamie Tan Huan Ying, who led the charge for the girls with Dynneva Joyce Donni and Shannon Sim Xuan also missed the individual medal by finishing fourth with her scores of 74-80-76.

“We are proud of our players and confident in our chances of clinching the MSSM title next year. SGA remains fully committed to supporting JPN (State Education Department) in the development of junior golfers, as MSSM serves as a vital stepping stone for our Sukma selection.

“We are confident in the potential of our young talents, and their MSSM performance is a clear indication of their readiness for Sukma next year. We must begin early to identify and nurture our medal prospects,” he said.

He also revealed that SGA is currently in talks with the Sarawak Golf Association to revive the SGA Cup Golf Championship, which has been on hiatus for nearly a decade. 

“The event is tentatively scheduled for early 2026, with several slots reserved for selected Sukma players as part of their early preparations.”

He added that funding will be a major challenge for them as the selected Sukma players will have to train and acclimate to the golf courses in Kuala Lumpur.

“Unlike other sports, every golf course is different—it takes time to ‘marry’ the course. Unfortunately, this preparation comes at a significant cost, but I can assure that SGA will continue to advocate for our athletes, and our focus remains on ensuring Sabah’s junior golfers are well-equipped and competitive on the national stage,” he added.

Meanwhile, at the reception, apart from incentives awarded to all the team members except Mohd Arif, who was absent, special recognition was also given to Mohamad Rafiq Anugerah, Ryan Lam, and Jamie Tan for their outstanding performances in the Individual categories. 

Hon said the incentives were aimed to encourage continued dedication and improvement among the players.

Also present at the reception was district education department officer Bunsu Gaga, who was also the deputy head of contingent for the state school sports council golf team.