TAWAU: The 11th edition of the Sabah Games (Saga) continues to serve as a vital platform for sports development in the State.
Sabah National Sports Council (MSN) Director Mohd Asneh Mohd Noor said Saga has been held since 2003 and remains an avenue for scouting and nurturing local athletic talent.
“Saga has been organised 11 times since it began in 2003, taking place every two years. Although it was once disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, this year marks its 11th edition.
“Essentially, it’s been about 23 years since we started this initiative. The original goal after Sukma 2002 was to establish a comprehensive sports development platform in Sabah,” he said during an interview at the Tawau Multipurpose Hall on Sunday.
Mohd Asneh explained that Saga serves as a selection and preparation ground for athletes to compete at higher levels such as Sukma and international tournaments.
“We hope Saga will continue to be a platform to produce high-performing athletes who can contribute to the state and nation’s sporting missions,” he said.
He added that MSN Sabah plays a key role in this year’s edition by leading the technical committee and ensuring all competitions run smoothly and comply with established standards.
“MSN leads the technical and competition committees. For this Tawau edition, we are managing 1,070 technical officials overseeing 23 sports to ensure everything runs efficiently and meets international specifications.
“We also hope to see national or Sukma records broken during Saga this time,” he added.
Mohd Asneh further described Saga as the largest state-level sports event in Malaysia involving multiple stakeholders.
“Saga XI is the biggest so far, with 7,758 athletes, 1,070 technical officials, and 30 contingents, an increase from 28 previously, competing across 23 sports.
“We hope this event will continue to uncover new talent and produce athletes capable of representing not just Sabah but Malaysia,” he said.
He also stressed that only qualified and experienced coaches are appointed to train the athletes.
Concluding, Mohd Asneh expressed hope that this continuous effort would contribute to Malaysia’s long-term mission of winning its first Olympic gold medal.
