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Kota Kinabalu: The Malaysia Open Slingshot Championship 2025 concluded with a spectacular finish at the Dewan Jabatan Belia and Sukan Kelantan, where Samrin from the Ranau Slingshot Community (RSC), Sabah, emerged as the overall champion. 

His victory brought pride to Sabah and marked a significant achievement for the growing slingshot community in East Malaysia.

The tournament, which began at 8.30am on Saturday, drew elite slingshot shooters from across Malaysia and neighbouring countries. The competition was intense from start to finish, with local shooters dominating the leaderboard. 

By the end of the event, four of the top five positions were claimed by Malaysian participants, while Indonesia secured fifth place. The top four came from Sabah and

Kelantan, with the order as follows — first place: Sabah; second: Kelantan; third: Sabah; fourth: Kelantan; fifth: Indonesia.

A total of twelve top shooters from Sabah travelled to Kota Bharu to compete, raising the excitement level of the tournament. Their presence included several big names from the RPS-Open national ranking list such as Aizen MPR (#2), Evan KESC (#3), Gid (#6), Kumpit RSC (#9), and Samrin RSC (#15). 

Among the line-up were Well RSC, the runner-up of the Malaysia–Asia Slingshot Open 2025 held at Stadium MBSJ, Serdang Jaya, and Jali, who previously won the Sharpshooter 10m 4cm category.

Another rising contender, Korombuau, known for his impressive progress in recent Sabah tournaments, also joined the competition, promising a fierce battle among the nation’s best.

The championship spotlight, however, shone brightest on Samrin, who demonstrated exceptional composure, strategy, and accuracy throughout the rounds. In round one, he used mudpill ammunition and scored 13 out of 15. 

Despite knowing the risk, Samrin made the bold decision to repeat his round under the rule that the second score would replace the first, even if it turned out lower. Switching to BB ammunition, he delivered a flawless performance, scoring a perfect 15/15, a decision that would later prove pivotal.

In round two, under windy conditions, Samrin once again used BBs and scored 19 out of 20, bringing his total score to 34/35. This result tied him with four other shooters, Rustim (Aizen MPR) from Keningau, two from Kelantan, and one from Indonesia. The tie led to a decisive shootout round involving 15 small spinners measuring 6cm each.

In that tense final round, Samrin displayed near-mechanical precision, hitting all 15 targets without a single miss, while the other competitors fell short. His perfect accuracy in the shootout secured him the title of Champion of the Malaysia Open Slingshot 2025 and the RM10,000 grand prize.

“Ranau and Sabah are proud of you, Samrin,” shared an RSC team administrator after the win. “It was the most courageous and smartest decision you made, you played with heart and confidence.”

Samrin’s triumph not only cements his status as one of Malaysia’s finest slingshot marksmen but also highlights the growing dominance of Sabah’s slingshot community on the national stage.