Kota Kinabalu: Muhammad Khalil Helmi and Ormilla Octavia Codday Nyadau were crowned Sekolah Sukan Malaysia Sabah (SSMS) Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year 2024 at the school’s excellence appreciation ceremony held at Sabah International Convention Centre on Friday.
Khalil, a 400m runner who hails from Kuala Penyu had represented the country at the World Athletics U20 Championship in Lima, Peru in 2024 and at the 21st Asian Athletics Championship U20 2024 in Dubai, UAE and reached the semi-final stage.
His achievement locally was a silver medal in the Malaysian Open Championship 2024, a gold in the Kuala Lumpur Open Championship, two silvers in 400m and 4 x400m Mix as well as a bronze in 4 x400m at the Sukma Sarawak.
Ormilla, on the other hand, representing the country and qualified for the semi-final in 100m at the 21st Asian Athletics Championship 2024 and was a silver medallist in the Malaysian Open 2024. She also won three bronze medals at the Sarawak Sukma in 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m as well as a gold in the 200m (U18) and a silver in 100m (U18) at the 64th MSSM meet.
Khalil was however, absent from the ceremony due to competition and his award was received by his mother Napisah Akil, while Ormilla was accompanied by her sister Isabellevianney Milan.
Apart from the sports category, other awards were also presented to recipients under the academic, pre-university, student personality synergy and curriculum categories.
School principal Hj M.Rahim Mohd Lair said the event highlighted the school’s commitment to nurturing high-performance athletes since its inception in 2013, with a diverse range of sports disciplines contributing to the development of young talent at both state and national levels.
“Excellence is not merely a coincidence; it is cultivated through relentless effort and unwavering support,” he said.
He stated that SSMS has systematically introduced and developed key sports programs, including hockey, diving, swimming, and athletics, which have established a strong foundation and the addition of women’s football in 2015, followed by archery and weightlifting in 2017, reflects the school’s proactive approach to meet national sporting needs.
He added that as the school continues to evolve, it has successfully positioned itself among other prestigious Malaysian Sports Schools, such as SSBJ (Kuala Lumpur), SSTMI (Johor), SSMP (Pahang) and SSMT (Terengganu).
The school’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) also revealed remarkable achievements in international sports, with the institution consistently surpassing its annual targets.
“Each of these achievements proved how talented and dedicated our student athletes are in bringing the country’s name to the world stage.
“Congratulations and well done to all athletes, coaches, and parties involved in supporting this success. We hope that this success will continue to inspire the future generations,” he said.
Meanwhile, State Education department’s director Datuk Raisin Saidin in his speech delivered by chief assistant director of student development sector Datu Asrah Datok Ambas congratulated all the recipients.
He said the appreciation ceremony was not just an annual event, but a platform to reflect on the journey throughout the year full of challenges, successes and valuable lessons.
He was confident that with the spirit of togetherness, dedication and commitment, SSMS will continue to achieve more success and become an excellent and respected educational institution.
