KOTA BELUD: The traditional slingshot game, once known as a children’s pastime in villages, is making a comeback as a modern sport, attracting adult participants.
Recently, the local community here organised the Open Slingshot Competition at the Kulambai Slingshot Club (KSC) in Kampung Kulambai Dundau, drawing 201 participants from various districts in Sabah and Labuan.
Organising Chairman Ramdan Seran said the event, which began at 9am, aimed to strengthen ties among slingshot enthusiasts and revive the traditional game popular in the 1960s to 1990s.
“This game is part of our heritage that is being forgotten due to the rise of gadgets and technology. We want to bring it back, especially for children and teenagers who have never played it,” he said.
Ramdan, who is also the Elite Slingshot Club President and chief judge of the competition, said more than 400 visitors came to watch the competition, which used a digital scoring system through the KeepTheScore website.
Participants competed by knocking down 3cm by 6cm pins from a 10-metre distance in three rounds of 20, 15 and 10 pins.
The main category, with a RM30 entry fee, offered RM1,000, a trophy and certificate for the winner, with prizes up to the 60th place. A children’s category with a RM5 entry fee was also held, along with a lucky draw offering electrical goods for participants and visitors.
Participant Mohd Shukri Baharin, 41, said modern slingshots are now made from stronger materials such as hard plastic, metal, aluminium and titanium, compared to the wooden ones used in the past.
“The sport brings back childhood memories and should be continued. It is safe as long as people are careful and choose the right place to play,” he said.
