Kota Kinabalu: Kota Kinabalu was crowned the 10th Sabah Games (Saga) overall champions after winning a total of 32 gold medals on the second last day of the biennial games on Thursday.
The team represented by 369 athletes added another 25 silvers and 30 bronzes to their total tally and successfully defended the title won in Keningau four years ago where they captured 30 golds, 26 silvers and 23 bronzes.
In distance second was Keningau who won 17 golds, 15 silvers and 25 bronzes while early leaders in this year’s competition Sandakan came in third with 15 golds, 10 silvers and 21 bronzes.
Archery contributed the most gold medals for Kota Kinabalu with seven followed by petanque with four.
Muaythai, tennis and boxing each delivered three. Two each from badminton, basketball and pencak silat while wushu, cycling, E-sport, golf, karate and athletics each contributed one.
At the previous meet, Karate was the biggest contributer with six, track and field with five, badminton with four, archery with three , two each from golf, table tennis, petanque, and one each from basketball, muaythai, tennis, hockey, sepak takraw and boxing.
Meanwhile, cyclists from Tawau’s Akmal Thaqif Begurdy and Ranau’s Drevionna Magdelynna Davin were awarded best male and female athletes respectively.
Akmal captured two gold medals in the 1,000m time trial and 200m sprint as well as a silver in the team time trial, while Drevionna won golds in 200m sprint, 500m and a silver in the individual time trial.
Track and field was the most successful sport in terms of records with 11 being broken by Tambunan’s Hanssen Yap Soon Fu in the men’s 100m (10.46s), Tenom’s Kasman Kassim in the men’s long jump (7.17m), Kunak’s Ku Yee Aleng in the women’s high jump ( 1.59m), Tambunan’s Abernetha Elissa Tadius in the women’s 100m hurdle (14.96s), Tambunan’s Dexter Bedie in the men’s 200m (22.02s), Keningau’s Hizillawanty Jamain in the women’s 1,500m (59.81s), Lahad Datu’s Nikos Tail Lee Onn in the men’s 1,500m ( 4:17.12s), Kuala Penyu’s Muhd Khalil Helmi in the men’s 400m ( 48.70s), Kuala Penyu’s Muhd Khalil Helmi in the men’s 400m ( 48.70s), Kudat’s Abby Allysca Lausin in the women’s triple jump ( 11.72m) and the Sandakan men’s 4 x 400 relay team (3:25.92s).
The nine-day competition with the staging of 103 events involved some 7,000 athletes and officials and a total of 182 gold , 182 silver and 262 bronze medals were up for grabs.
The next edition of Sabah Games will be held in Tawau in 2025.
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